White as Snow
by Thepolymathwriter
Summary: On a cold winter's day, Mary Margaret experiences a flash of...well she's not quite sure what it is. A vision? A hallucination? Or could it be a memory? Set just after 1x07 "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" (BRAND NEW UPDATE as of FEB 2013)
1. Chapter 1: Visions in the snow

**OOC: When I started writing this I meant for it to be a oneshot, and then it really started to develop so I might continue it. Please please please read and review. Every review I get makes my day. I claim to be no one special, just me, myself, and a creepy fangirl XD Anywho, enjoy this, there may be more to come!**

Snow. It fell softly in clumps of white mass, gathering in silvery mounds of the edges of window panes. Each flake struck the pane, silhouetting for a moment a unique and beautiful crystalline pattern before either melting away or being joined by members of its kin. Snow had such a strange and fascinating beauty. How could something so cold, so frigid be so beautiful? To Mary Margaret, the answer was simple. The greatest beauty was found in the most unlikely places. It is when beauty is least expected that it is found in most abundance. Snow was like that; despised by many for its cold and signs of true winter, but it was also beautiful. Mary Margaret had always loved snow, as long as she could remember. It truly was a thing of beauty. Each flake, unique and it's own, almost expressing an individual character. And the word itself had its own mysterious beauty. Four letters that conveyed such emotion. Mary Margaret simply felt uplifted when the white snow fell around her.

"Snow," she said softly to herself, unsure of why the word struck such a chord to her. She lifted one pale finger to caress the pane and feel the cold of the snow through the thick window glass. Such beauty. Such elegance. As Mary Margaret ran her hand delicately over the glass, her vision blurred.

_She wasn't in her cold and empty kitchen anymore, no she stood in a small forest glade with delicate snow falling around her. Another world. She felt her lips curl into a soft smile, as she stretched a trembling hand out to catch a snowflake. "Isn't it beautiful James?" she heard herself say, turning to face the man standing next to her. It was David. But unlike the confused, amnesiatic David she knew. He was adorned in royal garb, a confident and loving smile plastered across his face as he took her hand. "Yes," he smiled, "beautiful white snow for the beautiful Snow White." He raised a gloved hand and brushed back a strand of her suddenly and bizarrely long hair. "I love you."_

Mary Margaret returned to her kitchen with a start. She blinked her eyes several times, confirming that this was indeed reality. What was that that had just happened? A dream? A hallucination? Mary Margaret would normally pass it off as overtiredness, or just seeing things, but it struck chords with her. It reminded her of what Graham had said to her, and what Henry had been saying about the darn book for the longest time. And David….her mind wandered back to that night at the toll bridge. Instinctively, she felt her hand creep up to gently touch the ends of her short pixie cut. She'd had short hair as long as she could remember….however long that was. What Graham had said about his flashes….it was right. That did feel like a memory though. But not a memory she remembered.

"I'm…I'm just seeing things," she shook her head as if that could clear all the confusion from her mind. What is it that Dumbledore had said in the Harry Potter books? 'Do not dwell on dreams…' She was just overworked, mourning Graham, and tired. Another adjective crept into her mind.

"Lonely," she said softly, and looked around the empty apartment as if someone might overhear. Who was she kidding….there was and would be no one there. Christmas alone…again.

The sound of a key jiggling in the lock aroused Mary Margaret from her thoughts. Emma walked in, bearing arms full of grocery bags. "Hey," Emma greeted, "sorry I wasn't back sooner, there was a big line at the store and this woman in front of me would not shut up about the freaking mayonnaise being on sale and-"She paused for a moment and Mary Margaret felt the other woman give her a full body scan. "Is everything ok? You look, off."

Mary Margaret forced out a smile, shoving her confusion to the back burner for now. "I'm-I'm fine. Just admiring the snow. So beautiful!" She glanced briefly at the window again, then quickly turned back, remembering how the forest glade had looked with the snow gently falling.

"If you say so," Emma replied, shrugging off her red leather coat and hanging it on the hook by the door. "Speaking of snow, do you have any major plans for Christmas? It's only like 4 days away now. I mean, are you going to see family or something, because if I'm in the way in any way, let me know and I'll be out of here faster than you can say happy holidays."

_But you have no family to go to either,_ Mary Margaret thought, but didn't comment. She'd noticed that Emma got touchy about her solitary lifestyle. "I actually don't have anybody to go visit," she said softly and turned around the rearrange the curtains on the window, trying to look busy.

"Nobody?" Emma asked.

"No, not really," Mary Margaret sighed.

"So all these years you've spent the holidays all alone?"

Mary Margaret didn't answer. She had spent the holidays alone, as long as she could remember. She had tried to reassure herself that she enjoyed the solitude, that it was peaceful, and a good time to get in touch with herself. But every year, she set up the little tree in the corner, made hot cocoa with cinnamon, and spent Christmas with only herself for company. Even this year, she had hoped that Dr. Whale might be that one person to at least keep her company over the holidays. But that had ended as quickly as it had started. She just couldn't get David out of that back corner of her mind. And any guy she was with deserved her full devotion. Dr. Whale had been a clean break, but that meant she once again descended into loneliness.

"If it's not too intrusive for me to ask," Emma continued, sitting on a stool at the counter across from her, "but where is your family anyways? Obviously not in Storybrooke."

Mary Margaret furrowed her brows and bit her lip. It took several moments before she replied. "I-I can't remember." It was odd, she searched through her mind, and nowhere was there any idea of a family. Just white noise, as if something was veiled.

Emma looked at her for a moment, and Mary Margaret was sure that the other woman was debating a nice way to say crazy. "What do you mean, you can't remember?" Emma hesitated at each word, as if she were unsure that she was even saying it.

"I mean," Mary Margaret looked up at the rafters, "I don't know. I don't remember anything….it's odd isn't it?" She giggled slightly, but it wasn't genuine. She racked her brain for something, anything that resembled a family or relations. There was just a big empty spot, like memories were once there but had been stolen.

"Hell yeah it's odd," Emma said, her face serious, "I heard Graham talking like this before….well. I thought he was just crazy. But everyone in this town is…." Mary Margaret figured Emma would say crazy, or off, or weird. "Different. I mean look at Henry's book, right? Don't tell me you're starting to think that you're Snow White now are you?" Emma laughed slightly at the sheer absurdity of it.

"No," Mary Margaret said softly, her face solemn as she remembered the vision in the snow. "No, I'm just horrible with memories. That's all. It's nothing more than that. "But even she didn't believe her own words, so the moment she spoke them she knew that Emma wouldn't either.

"I mean you don't really?" Emma raised her eyes questioningly, "Yeah there's a lot of weird stuff that happens here. Yes Graham made best friends with a wolf. Yes, something happened between you and David. Yes Regina's heart is blacker than ink. That doesn't mean that you're all fictional characters. I'm all for Henry being allowed to keep his fantasies, I think they're good for him, but first with Graham, and now you….whatever things you're seeing or remembering, they can't be real. I know that. And I know that you know that."

Mary Margaret felt Emma's gaze pierce her like a dagger. She hadn't for a minute actually thought she was anyone else…it was just some odd coincidences. That's all. Right. She tried to reassure herself, but the feel of David's warm hand on hers continued to creep into her mind. That moment had felt so right! So natural. More real than anything she had ever felt. And it scared her.

"So," Emma continued, taking Mary Margaret's silence as one of agreement, "that matter's done with now. Let's move on. Christmas!"

"Right," Mary Margaret sighed, "Christmas."

"I'll tell you that you won't be spending Christmas alone this year. I'm here, and I'm sure Henry will stop by. Maybe even Dr. Whale will come back into the picture," Emma winked not-so-subtly, but Mary Margaret was in no mood to return it. Her head was a maelstrom of emotions, confusion, and thoughts. Maybe tomorrow she would stop by Archie's office….see if he might be able to help make sense of the mess.

"You're right," Mary Margaret said, "and thank you. It will be a good holiday, I'm sure of it." Her voice was distant and lacked enthusiasm though, and it looked like Emma picked up on that, but the other woman didn't say anything.

"You'll make sense of it all," Emma said after a moment's silence, "eventually."

Mary Margaret deeply hoped so.


	2. Chapter 2: A visit with the doctor

**OOC: Chapter two, right here and ready to go! Review, review review! Even if you hate it, I want to know! Enjoy this second chapter, and I'll work as hard as I can to get chapter 3 up ASAP.**

Mary Margaret paused, her hand poised and ready to knock on Dr. Hopper's door. Was she really doing this? Was she really seriously coming to seek mental help? The very prospect of it seemed absurd. Mary Margaret prided herself in keeping everything contained, in the seeing the light in life. Whenever she felt down at anytime, she focused on life around her. She focused on helping the children. On being happy. Negative and selfish thoughts always seemed to be pushed to the side. What she wanted shouldn't have ever mattered more than those around her. People had told her she was a push over, but wasn't that a good thing? Making people happy should always have been a good thing.

But right at that moment, with her hand poised to knock, Mary Margaret knew she was making her own decision and not doing what would make people happy. If Emma knew she was here….Emma didn't need too know she was here. Last night after that conversation in the kitchen, Mary Margaret had gone to bed early, her mind still stewing with unanswered questions. It wasn't that she was tired, it was that she didn't want to confront and discuss the matter any further. Mary Margaret had no answers, and that frightened her. She really should have answers to questions as simple as where her family was, but she didn't. She had absolutely no idea. It was lying in bed, stewing over her thoughts that she had decided for sure that she would come see Dr. Hopper. If he didn't have concrete answers, then maybe at least he would have some sort of guidance or advice. Surely dealing with Henry's fantasies had given the man some experience in matters like this.

She had woken up sharply at 8 am, as she always did, and went to school as normal. The children were as they always were, full of joy and childlike wonder with the prospect of only 3 days until Christmas. But even Mary Margaret herself realized that she was distant. She was still reliving that….whatever she had seen in the window over and over in her mind, searching for answers. But none came. So when school let out at 3:30, Mary Margaret had determidly marched her way to Dr. Hopper's office, ready to speak her mind. And there she was, ready to knock.

Mary Margaret took a deep breath and gently rapped her knuckles against the brushed mahogany. There was a pause and shuffling, before to her surprise, Henry opened the door.

"Hullo Ms. Blanchard!" the boy's smile warmed Mary Margaret's heart, and then his smile faded into a furrowed brow of confusion. "What are you doing here?"

"Yes, I would like to know that as well Ms. Blanchard," an icy voice sound, and Mary Margaret peered past Henry to see Regina and Dr. Hopper sitting across from each other. The mayor fixed her with a look of pure intimidation.

"I was…um," Mary Margaret stuttered, her emotions jumbled. Of course Regina and Henry were there, it was the time of Henry's regular appointment. Why hadn't she remembered that? "I was just here to have a word with Dr. Hopper." The red-haired man cast her a meaningful look, and nodded slightly. Regina on the other hand, appeared to have the gears of her mind turning at high speed, but the glare never faded.

"Well since you so rudely chose to interrupt our appointment," Mary Margaret for a moment debated protesting, then figured it wasn't worth it. The mayor continued, "Excuse Dr. Hopper and I for a moment or two. Henry, you can wait outside, close the door." The little boy obediently stepped out into the hall to join Mary Margaret, softly closing the door behind him.

"So why are you here Ms. Blanchard?" the boy had such innocence and pure curiosity, Mary Margaret couldn't help but force a smile.

"I'm just here to talk to Dr. Hopper," she said softly, looking at the closed door as if she could see through it if she really tried.

"Why would you come to see Dr. Hopper? Nobody thinks there's anything wrong with you."

"Oh Henry," Mary Margaret felt her heart melt, "there's nothing wrong with you, you know that. And no one should ever tell you that there is something wrong. As for me, I'm just here to talk to him about some things that have been troubling me."

"Operation cobra?" Henry's eyes lit up; as if he were sharing some inside joke she was supposed to know. "Are you starting to remember? Cause Sheriff Graham was starting to remember and then he went and died." Henry spoke of death as if it were a simple everyday thing.

Mary Margaret bit her lip and didn't answer. The boy had unknowingly hit the nail right on the head, and she wasn't sure what to say. She couldn't tell him what had actually happened, that would excite him too much. But lying to him was too hard. He was so innocent and pure.

"Who did you think I was again?" she said, forcing a smile.

"Snow White! Duh," Henry spoke as if that was the most obvious thing in the world. "And David's Prince Charming, but his name's actually James."

"James?" Mary Margaret's heart stopped, and she flashed back to that vision in the snow. She had called David James. She had. Not for the first time, she felt the slightest doubt creep into her mind. Doubt in what she had come to know. Trying to mask her confusion, Mary Margaret looked down to Henry to see the boy looking at her quizzically.

"You remembered something, didn't you?" his face widened with delight, but before Mary Margaret could answer, the door opened and Regina emerged, followed by a very awkward and scared looking Dr. Hopper.

"Thank you for your time," the mayor said to the doctor, then turned to Mary Margaret, nodding to acknowledge her, "Ms. Blanchard. Come on Henry, it's time to get you home." She grabbed the boy's hand and started down the hallway. Henry turned back to face Mary Margaret.

"Try and remember Ms. Blanchard, don't avoid it," Henry called to her, before being jerked back around by his mother. Mary Margaret and Dr. Hopper were left standing in the hall awkwardly, and several moments of silence passed as Regina and Henry's figures retreated down the hall.

"That woman is quite the character," he commented, before turning back to face her, "so what can I do to help you Ms. Blanchard?"

"I'd like to talk about some-um-thing's that have been troubling me," Mary Margaret answered, her gaze still fixed upon the spot where Regina and Henry had rounded the corner.

"Well then by all means, step into my office," Dr. Hopper opened the door and motioned for her to enter. The office was quaint, with many bookshelves, a soft couch, and several armchairs. "Have a seat," Dr. Hopper pointed to the couch, and settled down himself in one of the armchairs. "So what's troubling you?"

"Well Dr. Hopper-" Mary Margaret, unsure where to continue, but he interrupted her.

"Please, enough with these titles and such. We've known each other long enough for you to call me Archie and me to call you Mary Margaret," he smiled.

"That's what I'm here to talk about actually," Mary Margaret started, and paused to gather her thoughts, "do you actually remember meeting me Archie? I mean, the day we first met."

Archie paused, his face showing concentration as his gears turned. "I'm sorry to say I actually don't. Don't think of me as a bad friend for it though!" He laughed nervously, but Mary Margaret could see he was slightly bewildered. She caught onto that and pressed, now eager that she wasn't the only one.

"Do you remember anything?" she continued, "anything before Storybrooke. What about your family? Where are they?"

Archie paused again. "I-I honestly don't know. I mean, Marco's like a brother to me…but….."

"Exactly!" Mary Margaret exclaimed, "I don't either. I first started thinking about this when Graham came and asked me if I had known him before Storybrooke, and I couldn't answer. Don't you think that's a little odd?"

"It is," Archie pondered, "very odd indeed." He paused again, and looked out the window. "But is there an explanation at all? Or are you just here to discuss missing memories?"

"How are your talks with Henry going?"

"Henry?" Archie looked surprised, "well he still thinks I'm Jiminy Cricket if that's what you mean. And his mother still is trying to purge him of it like the plague." Archie laughed softly. "But what has that got to do with what you're talking about?"

Mary Margaret hesitated before continuing. "Have you ever…have you ever seen or heard anything that might make you even the slightest bit think that he's right?"

This time Archie paused for a long while. It was obvious that he was pondering very deeply, and that he was very confused. "Right around the time of the cave-in….and when I was in that elevator shaft with him…." Archie started, but then stopped himself, "it was nothing though. I mean, he can't possibly be right can he?"

"Last night, I saw something. I don't know what it was, but I saw something," Mary Margaret said, "and I'm starting to wonder if maybe he is right."

Archie sighed. "I'm not sure what else to say Ms. Blanchard. What can I say? We've both seen some things that might cause us to believe him, but what the boy is saying is incredibly farfetched." But Archie sounded like he even doubted what he himself was saying. "And I think what is best is that we both forget about it. I heard Graham was seeing things and whatnot before he died, and I'd hate to see the same thing happen to you Mrs. Blanchard. You're a sweet woman. Go home, rest, and have a happy holiday season."

Mary Margaret nodded, but she didn't believe him any more than he himself did. "Well then its best I go get started on that." She smiled and started for the door. "Have a merry Christmas Archie."

"You too Mrs. Blanchard," Archie smiled, but it was distant. As Mary Margaret went to close the door behind her, she saw Archie almost regretfully pick up the phone and dial. With a final sigh, she softly closed it behind her. As Mary Margaret started down the hall that Henry and Regina had walked not minute before, the hall around her was quiet. All she could hear were her soft footsteps, and the jumbled voices of her own thoughts. What she didn't hear was Archie's voice softly speaking into the phone.

"Hello Regina? It's Doctor Hopper, something's happened."


	3. Chapter 3: Unexpected encounters

**OOC: Here's the third chapter. Remember, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW! I make no promises as to when the next one'll be up. Keep on reading my friends, and if you're asking questions as to why things are happening, they will be explained later. Just read, review and wait and see! Enjoy!**

Archie had told her to rest up. He had told her to forget this jumble and focus on the joy of the holidays. Mary Margaret couldn't even contemplate sleeping though; her thoughts were still swirling. The simple fact that Archie too couldn't remember…it almost assured her that she was on the right path in pursuing this. That she was doing something for herself, not being pushed over and taking charge of her own life. It was easy to think of herself as doing that though, but whether she actually would continue to was beyond answer. She had felt surges of confidence in the past; when David had woken up, when she had given Henry the book…but someone had always crushed her back down shortly after. Usually for some reason it was Regina. Always, actually. The two minute conversation Regina and Archie had had while she was in the hall with Henry…it troubled her. The mayor was never up to anything good, and poor Archie had looked bewildered after she had left. What was the "evil queen" of Henry's imagination up to now?

"But is it really just his imagination?" Mary Margaret asked herself as she paused before opening the door to Dr. Hopper's office building. Evil Queen or not, Regina still terrified her. The mayor spoke and acted as if she knew everything that was going on, and didn't like it. Mary Margaret even wondered if the mayor knew of what she herself had spoken to Dr. Hopper about. Probably, and that was a frightening thought. If there was one person she wanted to talk to at that moment, it was Graham since he had obviously experienced something similar. But like Archie had said, he was gone. Gone for good, and he wasn't coming back. For the first time, Mary Margaret wondered if maybe Graham's death hadn't been an accident. If maybe something was up in Storybrooke.

"Nonsense," she sighed to herself and shook her head. "Nothing is up at all. Nothing." With another sigh, she pushed open the building door, emerging into a street full of beautiful falling snow. Mary Margaret couldn't contain a gasp of awe, as she looked at the winter beauty that had started while she was in the office. Glorious, elegant, beautifully white snow, falling in soft curtains all around her. She raised a trembling hand to catch a snowflake on the very tip of her index finger. As Mary Margaret watched the crystalline shape melt away, her vision blurred.

_This time she wasn't in the snowy forest glade, but rather was in a stone-walled room with an open window at one end, through which she was watching thick fluffy clumps of snow fall. "Isn't it beautiful James?" she turned away from the window to face David, who sat on the edge of an elegant four-poster bed. Again he was dressed in royal garb, and a shining sword hung from a scabbard at his waist. He looked up at her, a smile gleaming on his face. "It is, but the most beautiful Snow I see is not outside, but in this very room."_

Mary Margaret immediately flashed back to the present, stumbling slightly on her feet as she came to. There it was again. And that felt even more real than the last time. She could still feel the soft touch of hair on her shoulders, the scratchy itchiness of the cotton dress, and she could even still smell the sweet scent of David (James?) on the air. It made her long for his touch.

"Mary Margaret?" a voice sounded from across the street, "is that you?" The figure approached until his shape became clear. Coincidently, it was David, and Mary Margaret was half tempted to run away, she was so shocked. Why was he here, just after she had seen….whatever that was?

"What are you doing out in the snowy cold?" David asked, his face still full of the child-like innocence he had before he regained his apparent memories.

"But were those actually his memories?" Mary Margaret said softly to herself without realizing it.

"Pardon?"

She looked up. "Pardon what?"

"You said something."

"Oh," Mary Margaret couldn't contain the blush of her cheeks, "It was, it was nothing."

"Ok then," David replied, but he didn't seem so sure, "anyways, how are things?"

"They're happening," she replied simply. Things were indeed happening, and as much as she wanted it, he, David, wasn't a part of those things.

"That's good!" David smiled, "the happening of things is always good. I'm out Christmas shopping. Kathryn's somewhere in there." He motioned to a large block of shops across from Dr. Hopper's office.

Mary Margaret didn't reply, she just nodded.

"Are you really alright?" David asked, and reached for her hand in a reassuring gesture. The moment their fingers met, Mary Margaret's vision blurred again.

_She was back in the stone room with snow falling in the background. Now David was at her side, his arm wrapped around her waist. "I love you, you know that?" he said with a smile. She felt herself pause for a moment, as if contemplating what he said. "I think I just might, but I'm not entirely sure." She heard herself laugh, not the soft, muted laugh she normally had but a grand explosion of tinkling laughter. David smiled coyly and put his lips to hers, holding her even closer. Mary Margaret enjoyed every moment of the kiss, and when it finally ended, she was the one who pulled away. "James, I need time to breath you know." She laughed and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Oh Snow," he replied, twirling a piece of her hair around his ringed finger "we can breathe later. Now is the time for love."_

With a jolt Mary Margaret again returned to the present, and she pulled away from David, feeling him pull back as well.

"Snow," he gasped, his gaze fixating on her. His finger twirled invisible shapes in the air.

Mary Margaret fumbled for something to say, anything. "James," she said softly, immediately drawing away from the word as she spoke it. David didn't say anything else; he just continued to look at her with a bewildered expression and slowly backed away.

"I-I need to go," he said, and turned back across the street and into one of the shops, leaving Mary Margaret standing alone in the snow, unsure where to go from here.

"That man is still not all the way himself, wouldn't you agree Ms. Blanchard?" without even the crunching of snow as warning, Mr. Gold had suddenly appeared beside her, his suit neat and crisp and a twinkle in his eye. Mary Margaret managed a stiff nod, as she turned to face him. The propetier seemed smug and wealthy as ever. It seemed that, though nobody in Storybrooke was in particular financial trouble, Mr. Gold was definitely the best off out of everyone. Mary Margaret wouldn't have even doubted that he held more power in some areas than the mayor herself.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly. The vision still filled her mind, and she was still unsure of what to make of it.

"Why, I'm just out for me afternoon stroll about the town," he answered, as if it were painfully obvious "I do like to keep an eye on all that's going on in Storybrooke after all. Speaking of which, what just happened with David there, hmm? If I recall, he has a wife waiting in a store across the street."

"Nothing happened," Mary Margaret said quickly, "nothing at all."

"I see," Mr. Gold looked around for a moment, a smile creeping at the edges of his thin lips. "Well, I'll be seeing you Mrs. Blanchard. Say hello to Dr. Whale for me will you?" He winked coyly and started back down the street, twirling his cane as he walked.

If Mary Margaret were a rebellious or rude person, she would have been tempted to spit in the direction of the retreating form. But she was neither rude nor rebellious, so just stood there on the snowy street, watching Mr. Gold disappear down the lane. When his silhouette finally faded, she allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief. Now that was an awkward encounter. Both were awkward encounters. In fact, this whole day had been full of awkward encounters, from Henry to Regina to Archie to David to Mr. Gold. Mary Margaret sighed. The only thing she had accomplished though was confusing herself even further. These latest visions solidified in her mind that there was something happening, she just wasn't sure what yet.

Who would be able to help her besides Dr. Hopper? Emma would deny it….Graham's gone…..Dr. Whale was out of the question. Then it dawned on her, the one person who really caused all this trouble, might have the solutions. Well, either he would or his darn book. Mary Margaret focused and decided that she would go see the one person who might be able to help. The one person who might explain at least what she was seeing. If it had meaning. With a sense of determination, Mary Margaret set off walking towards the mayor's house to speak with Henry. The little boy who might be able to answer her problems.


	4. Chapter 4: The book says it all

**OOC: A Holiday miracle, chapter 4 is done and ready to go! Here you are my lovelies, and I encourage you to keep on reading and reviewing. It only gets better from here! Happy holidays!**

Walking up the cobbled front pathway that led to the door of Regina's grand house, Mary Margaret's mind once more flooded with a million thoughts of doubt and worry. What if Regina answered the door, not Henry? What would she say then? The very glance cast by the mayor in her direction was enough to make Mary Margaret want to run the other way. And quickly at that! Every stare Regina gave was dripping with bitter anger and spite. Mary Margaret always felt as if the mayor was seeing into her very soul itself, and thinking of ripping out that very soul. It was terrifying. Yet despite her fear of the mayor, her curiosity won out and her black shoed, white-socked feet continued to propel her towards the expansive door. More doubts crept in. Why was she even doing this? Really, what was the practicality behind asking a little boy about storybooks? Her rational mind said that there was no sense behind it at all. No sense! But even her rational mind couldn't deny whatever it was that had happened first with the snow, and then with David. That had felt more rational than anything she had ever experienced before. It felt more real. She at least needed some confirmation that either she was crazy, or that Henry might have been right.

With a start, Mary Margaret realized she had reached the threshold of the door and was raising her pale finger to the doorbell. "Nothing lost from being curious," she said softly to herself, as if reassuring that this was the right thing to do, and pushed the doorbell in. A faint chiming sounded throughout the house, and she heard the pattering of footsteps down the stairs. There was a pause as a shadowed figure appeared to peer through the frosted glass of the door, and then it swung open, revealing a surprised looking Henry.

"Ms. Blanchard?" he said, looking up at her in curiosity.

"Hi Henry," Mary Margaret replied, trying to keep her voice as steady as possible. "Is your mom home?"

"My mother," Henry said, the slightest irony accenting his last syllable, "is at a meeting. Why?"

"Can I come in?"

Henry nodded, and swung the door open further to let her in. Mary Margaret nervously stepped into the massive house, still anxious at being in the home of the mayor. She looked around, and bit her lip, as if Regina would pop out at any moment.

"What's up Ms. Blanchard?" Henry's face contained that child-like naivety it always did.

"I know this is kind of weird," she started, then decided to just get on with it and ask the boy what she really wanted to say, "but do you have that book of stories I gave you?"

"Of course!" Henry smiled for a moment, and then his face lit up with a greater understanding. The light bulb had gone off. "Wait, you're telling me that you remember?"

Mary Margaret frowned slightly and bit her lip again. How to reply to such a statement? Was this even remembering as Henry claimed at all? Or was she just over-tired, over-stressed about the holidays, and over-emotional?

Henry, it seemed, took her silence as a yes and immediately grabbed her hand and pulled her up the spiral staircase. Mary Margaret tripped and stumbled up the stairs, but could not release the iron grip the little boy had around her wrist. He was definitely on a mission. The entire way up, his face was split into a wide grin, showing all of his little white teeth and his eyes sparkled with delight. As he bounded into his bedroom with Mary Margaret in tow, Henry released her hand and ran to snatch a familiar book from his small desk. With quick gestures, he motioned for her to come and look, as he furiously flipped page after page after page.

"What did you remember?" he asked, coming to a stop at the beginning of a chapter.

"You mean what I saw?" Mary Margaret was still a little flustered from the frantic rush up the stairs.

"Duh."

"Oh," she paused to recollect her visions in the snow. Surprisingly it was easy, as if she were drawing upon her own experiences. Well, maybe they were her experiences, if Henry was right. "I saw in the snow outside my kitchen window that I was in the snow. In a forest glade. And David was there."

"You mean your prince?"

Mary Margaret shot Henry and quizzical look and continued. "And, he was talking to me. Loving me." She said painfully. "The next time we were in a stone room. It was snowing outside. He came and wrapped his arms around me and was talking to me again. I saw that in the snow out on the street, and it continued when David…touched me." She sighed. "But it's all silly really. I'm over-worked, that's all."

Mary Margaret meant to continue, but Henry stopped her as he motioned to a page he flipped to. Pictured on it was the very forest glade she had seen, down to the last fallen tree branch. Silhouetted there she could make out two startlingly familiar shapes. It couldn't be.

"This is the part of the story after Prince Charming proposes to Snow White," he motioned to her, "he took you out into your favourite glade at first snowfall the night after he proposed." Mary Margaret didn't answer, she just watched in awe as Henry flipped forward several pages.

"And here," he said, motioning to an image of the stone room Mary Margaret had seen, "is a few days later when you two are just about ready to begin wedding preparations. Prince Charming talks a lot about how he loves you, and then the book says something about 'making love'. But I don't really know what that means."

Mary Margaret felt her pale cheeks flush profusely, and she couldn't help but smile at the boy's innocence. "And you don't need to know for a long while," she smiled, then remembered the task at hand, "that is very peculiar though." Her mind was thinking more than peculiar. Her every thought was racing to find some logical explanation as to why what she had seen perfectly matched the book. There was none. She had to face the fact, that Henry was right about maybe some part of this whole thing. She didn't believe the entire truth of it though; it wasn't possible or logical at all. Something odd was just amiss, that's all.

"When did you remember things?" Henry asked.

"When I was focused on snow," Mary Margaret replied wistfully, deciding to go along with the boy for now. "And when David touched me." She sighed, and felt her cheeks flush again at the thought of David. Oh David…..Mary Margaret shook her head to clear her thoughts. She shouldn't and couldn't be thinking about David like that, he had a wife! But if Henry was right…..

Mary Margaret was aroused from her thoughts as she was struck by a blast of cold air. While she had been day dreaming, Henry had climbed up onto his bed and opened the shutters of his small window, revealing snow falling softly outside.

"Try it!" he said.

"Try what?"

"Try to remember silly!" Henry spoke as if that were the most practical idea in the world.

Mary Margaret sighed and walked over to the window, extending one pale hand to catch a single snowflake. The moment it brushed her skin, just like last time she was suddenly in a different place.

_Mary Margaret felt younger, lighter and freer. She felt that this was long before David (James?) had come along, long before she had been set free by Graham (the huntsman?) She walked softly along a trail, humming quietly through her thick fur cape and scarf. Snow fell lightly all around her. A tall, broad-shouldered man walked alongside her, a thick salt and pepper beard adorning his hard-lined jaw. "Father," she heard herself say. "Who is this woman you were talking about? I'd love to meet her!" Mary Margaret felt this other version of herself envision Christmas baking, singing and a family around the fire. "She is very entrancing," the man she called father answered distantly, "and will be very good for our kingdom." Mary Margaret stopped and looked the man straight in the eye, despite being more than a head shorter than him. "Do you love her?" her words were little more than a whisper on the breeze. "Oh Snow," the man sighed, and bit his lip as he looked down on her, "there are many things I love in this world, but the thing I will always love and will never stop loving is my daughter. My little fairest one, Snow White."_

Mary Margaret awoke to the real world with a start, and subconsciously felt herself chewing her lip as the man in her vision (her father?) had.

"Hello Ms. Blanchard," with a jolt, Mary Margaret turned away from the snowy window to face Henry's bedroom door where Regina was standing, her hand clenched around Henry's tiny shoulder. The boy's face was filled with worry and fear, but he spoke not a word. The mayor must have arrived soundlessly and unannounced while Mary Margaret was 'visioning'.

"R-Regina," she stumbled in reply, her mind racing like that of a rabbit caught in a snare.

"May I ask what you are doing in my house, with my son, that I was not aware of? I was under the understanding that school teachers taught at school," every word pierced Mary Margaret, and she watched Regina's eyes scour every surface of the room, finally landing on the open book. Realization dawned in those icy eyes.

"Doing a little reading are we?" Regina smiled, and motioned to the book. She strode effortlessly over to the desk, and scanned the open page. "The king took Snow White on a walk through the snow-covered forest. He was not eager to tell her the news, but the news needed to be told. He was set to marry a woman from a far off land. A woman with plenty of power and ambition. A woman who he believed was the perfect queen for the kingdom in times of such crisis. As to whether she would be a good step-mother to Snow White, that was yet to be seen." The mayor spoke every word with a sense of ironic spite, and Mary Margaret couldn't help but cringe the entire time.

"How interesting," Regina said, "a lovely story isn't it?"

Mary Margaret managed a stiff nod.

"Henry," Regina turned to the boy, who still stood cowering in the doorway, "go downstairs and get a snack or something. Ms. Blanchard and I need a minute to talk. To sort out a few little problems that have popped up." She smiled what seemed to be an attempt at sweetly, but turned into more of a grimace. Henry turned silently and left, sending one last pleasing look towards Mary Margaret as he closed the door.

"Now, Ms. Blanchard. I don't know what you're up to, but I don't like it," Regina started, and it only got worse from there.


	5. Chapter 5: Intimidation

**OOC: Ah yes, here's chapter 5 all ready to go! I hope y'all are enjoying this rollercoaster ride so far. It'll hopefully continue greatly on from here! Remember, read and REVIEW! You thoughts, good or bad, are really important to me.**

"I-I don't know what you mean," Mary Margaret stammered, trying to sound innocent.

"You know perfectly well what I mean," Regina replied, not fooled in the slightest, "this afternoon you turned up at Dr. Hopper's office, rudely interrupting Henry's session. The conversation you two had after we left, as I've heard, was far from normal."

Mary Margaret gasped, surprised by Archie's betrayal. Why had he ratted out to Regina? What sort of a conscience could a man have to do something like that? The action seemed so uncharacteristic of the kindly psychologist.

"I can see from your face that you think Dr. Hopper revealed everything on his own will. You'll be happy to know he took some persuasion," Regina chuckled lightly, though her gaze was far from light, "poor Pongo's doggy medication for his arrhythmia ran out very suddenly last week, and I happen to be a close friend of the local veterinarian. Archie had to pay his price for his puppy to be well." She chuckled again and raised one eyebrow, as if challenging Mary Margaret to question her.

"You can't do that!" Mary Margaret exclaimed, "It's not right!"

"Ah, but not everything is right in the world Ms. Blanchard," Regina replied coolly. "As I was saying, Dr. Hopper informed me that you have been seeing things. Odd things."

'Don't say anything, don't say anything,' Mary Margaret told herself and remained stoic, trying her very hardest not to just slap the vile woman in the face.

"And then," Regina continued, a smirk tugging at the edge of her lips, "just now at my meeting with Mr. Gold, he informed me that you had been exhibiting some odd symptoms out on the street with a certain man in particular. These two events in combination have caused me some worry, and rightfully so."

'Stay quiet, stay quiet. It's what you always do. Avoid conflict' Mary Margaret silently told herself.

"You see Ms. Blanchard," Regina's tone grew more serious, "this town is like a body. Individuals working together for the greater good. Filling their roles and forming systems, which work to make the town work. You are part of that system; I am part of that system. We all strive to maintain a sense of balance. Homeostasis. You're a teacher, Ms. Blanchard. You should know what that means. It means there is little change, in order for there to be optimal productivity. If an organ, or in our case individual goes against that constant. If the norm is disrupted. Then the body as a whole works to counteract that change and reinstate balance." She paused and Mary Margaret felt the other woman's cold eyes scour her entire body.

"Do you know that Graham was experiencing some strange visions before he so 'tragically' passed Ms. Blanchard?" Regina attempted what Mary Margaret judged to be the most fake sorrowful sigh ever. "He is merely an example of Storybrooke maintaining a sense of homeostasis. It would be a shame for you to follow a similar path to him, wouldn't it?"

Mary Margaret attempted to remain stoic, but she couldn't help but cringe at the mention of Graham, and the thought that his death may have been something more…it pained her.

Regina stood and dusted off her dark pantsuit. "So I suggest you take certain actions Ms. Blanchard," she said coolly. "Forget these visions or whatever they were. They're merely figments of a small boy's imagination that have strayed into your mind. Help to maintain homeostasis, rather than working against it. Go home, forget about all of this, and get into the holiday spirit. I've heard you are quite the decorator when it comes to Christmas. And most importantly, remember that David has a wife. A wife who loves him dearly, and is glad to have her husband home for the holidays. Don't forget that Ms. Blanchard." With that, Regina opened Henry's bedroom door and motioned for Mary Margaret to leave.

Mary Margaret took the hint, and slowly walked out of the room, her mind ablaze, but her mouth too tongue-tied to speak. Was the mayor right? Was she just being silly in believing any sort of truth in all of this? Or was Henry right, and Regina had some sort of evil agenda to fill? Mary Margaret had not the slightest clue where to go from there. She turned to fire back a clever retort to the mayor, but nothing came. With a sigh, she started back down the spiral staircase Henry had dragged her up not an hour earlier. At its base, the little boy stood, looking at her expectedly.

"Don't leave Ms. Blanchard, we were just making progress!" he exclaimed.

"Oh Henry," she sighed, not quite sure how to reply. "I need to go home and think about all this. Sort out what's happening."

"Henry," Regina appeared at the top of the stairs, "Ms. Blanchard needs to go now. And don't you remember my rule about letting people in the house when I'm not home? We're going to have to talk about this later. As for you Ms. Blanchard." The mayor sighed and glared down at her. "Remember what I said, and don't go doing anything that makes me doubt your competency as Henry's school teacher. I'm sure you enjoy your job, and your life, as it is. Remember that."

Mary Margaret turned and left he house, allowing the door to fall closed behind her. She let out a long-awaited sigh of relief on the doorstep, finally glad to be away from the icy gaze of Regina. The way the mayor had acted; it made Mary Margaret almost want to believe Henry more. That dastardly manipulation of poor Archie and the mysterious meeting with Mr. Gold were deeds most definitely suited to an evil queen. And every word Regina spoke seemed to say to Mary Margaret 'my way or the highway'. It was as if the mayor saw truth in what was happening, and was working her hardest to prevent that truth from being revealed. But at the same time, Mary Margaret was legitimately frightened of Regina and her power. Realizing that what happened to Graham could have been Regina's doing….it terrified her. A large part of her wanted to just do as the mayor said and avoid conflict. That's what she had always done in her life, and it had worked out pretty well, hadn't it? Avoid conflict, let others do the talking, and do what's best for others.

As she started down the walk and back along the street towards her apartment, Mary Margaret wondered if being passive had really worked out so well for her. She had never really done anything for herself. It was always for others. She had quit the hospital volunteering despite her love of it; just because she knew David didn't need her there to ruin his relationship. She had ended things with Dr. Whale because she knew that he didn't deserve someone who couldn't love him back. In all those situations, had she come off better? Hardly. She had felt miserable as usual. Maybe she needed to learn to give in to herself and think of what she herself wanted once and a while.

"I give in to myself," Mary Margaret justified to herself as she walked, "I mean, I went out and bought that brand new fancy star for the top of my Christmas tree last week! That was for me!" But was it really? She had picked out the one she had seen Emma eying in the store window for several days, because she felt like maybe the other woman deserved a dazzling Christmas in this new place. The one she herself had liked better had lain untouched in the window while she purchased Emma's favourite.

"Am I a pushover?" Mary Margaret came to a sudden stop in front of a shiny store window, eying her reflection meticulously. She was petite as ever, her cropped dark hair ruffling slightly in the cold winter breeze. "Am I?" she asked her reflection again. The image in the window blurred for a moment, and once again Mary Margaret felt herself in a different place.

"_My darling Snow," the man from her last vision's booming voice sounded. Mary Margaret looked and saw that she was in a small but well furnished bedroom. An ornate metal bed lay in one corner, while intricate rugs and tapestries adorned the walls and floor. Mary Margaret found herself standing in from of a full-length gilded mirror, with the man sitting on the bed behind her. "You are so beautiful," the man continued, his chiselled face breaking into a smile. "But father," she said, and peered closer into the mirror, seeing a familiar but younger version of her own face, shadowed by waves of dark curls. "I was told by one of your generals that I need to find a man to marry, and gain power for our kingdom." The man sighed. "Let me tell you something Snow," the man rose and laid a firm hand on her shoulder, "it doesn't matter what anyone else says. There will always be people in this world who will tell you to change things about yourself, or do things or be different. You need to remember that the opinion which matters most of all is your own. Your happiness comes from you, my daughter. Do not rush into anything which you have not decided yourself. Be confident in what you want, because it matters most," he smiled. And Mary Margaret felt herself return that smile. _

With a start Mary Margaret was once again back in the real world. After several moments to regain her breath and balance, she reached a trembling hand out to meet her reflection in the shop window. "I need to do what I think is best," she softly repeated the words of the man (her father?) in her vision. With a sigh, Mary Margaret turned and continued back towards her house. Her gait however, had gained the slightest edge of the confidence of a woman who had decided to choose her own path.


	6. Chapter 6: Out come the Decorations

**OOC: Here y'all go. Read and REVIEW please! I wrote most of this just now while watching the Once Upon a Time marathon, so hopefully it's decent. I've got big plans for this, so keep on reading my friends!**

By the time Mary Margaret arrived home, her mind had finally begun to sort itself out. Ideas had their places and order, and she had some sense of what at least was going on. As she walked she had mentally made sense of the events of the day. By no means did that mean she totally knew where to go from there though. Indecision and uncertainty still dominated her being. What she did know was clear. Regina had somehow been responsible or knowledgeable of Graham's death, and the mayor knew of something going on in Storybrooke. Something odd. Graham's death and that something were somehow tied together, and that was also linked to whatever it was she herself had been experiencing lately. Those visions in their own right were something odd as well. Mary Margaret wasn't fully committed to believing yet, but Henry had given her more right to believe. With each passing vision (memory?) it felt more and more real. She was however committed to pursuing the truth, and not letting herself be intimidated by Regina anymore.

Mary Margaret had a smile on her face as she slid the key into the lock and opened her apartment door. It felt good to be in charge of her own life! As to whether or not it would stay that way, well that was still to be seen. To her surprise, Emma was seated in the center of the living room floor, open Tupperware bins, stray garland, tinsel and ornaments all around her. The other woman looked up as she entered.

"What took you so long?" Emma asked, clearing away some of the mess around her.

Mary Margaret paused. It had been an eventful evening hadn't it? She'd gone from school, to Dr. Hopper's, to Regina's and then home, but along the way she had experienced quite more than her days worth of excitement. "I had some-um-errands to run," she finally said, as she hung her coat and scarf on the hook by the door. "I see you found my Christmas boxes."

"Yeah," Emma replied, surveying the mounds of décor around her. "You really go all out for the holidays don't you?" She held up a snowman mannequin which flashed LED lights around his top hat.

"I guess so," Mary Margaret smiled and settled down into an armchair along the fringes of the décor explosion. "It's a wonderful time of the year, so it's nice to celebrate it wonderfully."

Emma frowned, as if strands upon strands of coloured garland weren't the most wonderful way to celebrate Christmas. "Do you bring all of this stuff out every year?"

"Usually. I was late this year due to some distractions," Mary Margaret sighed, "but it seems that you've got me back on track." She laughed softly.

"Apparently," Emma laughed and unwound a string of lights. "So if it's not weird of me asking….why do you do all this if you're all by yourself anyways?" She motioned to the glittering baubles, garlands and ornaments.

Mary Margaret frowned and bit her lip. "I think it's because no matter how bad I feel and no matter how lonely I am, I can still have a little bit of cheer," she said softly, "sad isn't it?"

"It's not sad," Emma said sympathetically, "what's sad is not even owning a Christmas decoration of your own. That's sad." She sighed softly. "Moving from place to place. Not ever really having a proper Christmas."

Mary Margaret looked over at Emma. "Well you've got one now," she smiled. "Maybe this year we both won't be so lonely." She bent down and began to help Emma with the decoration sorting, carefully separating long tangles of tinsel.

"Sounds like a plan," Emma replied, and was silent. She continued to pull apart the mounds of ornaments. As they worked, Mary Margaret wondered if Emma had a role to play in the grand scheme of whatever it was that was amiss in Storybrooke. It was obvious that she herself was involved, and Regina as well. Dr. Hopper too, and Graham. Oh Graham…..And when had all of this really started? When Emma came, that's when. Regina was right in saying that the town was like a body. They were all connected in some bizarre way, and those connections were starting to reveal themselves.

"Oh I meant to tell you," Emma added, interrupting Mary Margaret's thoughts, "someone called for you while you were out. He didn't leave a name, but he seemed really flustered and his voice sounded really familiar. He said he had to talk to you."

Mary Margaret's heart stopped, and her breath caught in her throat. David. David had called. Here. After all that…

"Are you ok?" Emma asked, "Is everything ok?" she paused and seemed to think for a minute. "Wait a second, was that David?" Her eyes widened in shock.

Mary Margaret didn't reply, she just looked down and bit her lip, her mind a mass of confusion and worry. She could feel it building in her mind. The same kind of confusion and worry that came after she had met David on the street.

"Mary Margaret," Emma said, looking at her seriously, "why would David call here? I thought you had figured it out. I thought he was with his wife. He does have a wife you know."

That seemed to set something off within her. "You don't think I know that?" Mary Margaret exclaimed, all the tension exploding out of her, "You don't think I've heard that from everyone? I gave up Emma. A while ago I thought that maybe Henry's book was right, but everyone proved me otherwise. He chose her Emma, and I gave up on that little fantasy! I figured that reality was right, and whatever it was that had occurred between us at the toll bridge….it was nothing! This," she motioned to the phone as if it were the cause of the problem, "this is not my fault in the slightest. I gave up on him, and let everyone else be right. I gave up. I gave up." She felt her vision cloud over and she put her head in her hands.

"Whoa," Emma said, her face shocked at Mary Margaret's display of emotion. "Something's up. Why don't you tell me what's going on?"

Mary Margaret looked up, wiping her eyes with one sleeve of her cardigan. "Have you ever…..have you ever thought that Henry might be right?"

Emma frowned. "I'll be the first to admit that there has been some weird stuff going on," she said sceptically. "I mean David waking up, that cave in, anything involving Regina, and of course….Graham." Her voice caught on that last word. "But that doesn't mean the nonsense that Henry is spurting is true! He's a ten year old boy with a storybook. Don't tell me that you're seeing things or something like that."

"Imagination is the strongest of powers," Mary Margaret said softly. "If we allow ourselves to believe, then anything is possible. What if Henry's on to something?"

Emma shook her head. "You seriously aren't starting to think that you're a Disney princess now are you?"

"No," Mary Margaret shook her head, but she wasn't sure herself of the truth to her answer. The events of the last day had caused her to doubt reality. "But something is happening. Did Graham say anything to you out of the ordinary? Did he start seeing things?"

Emma bit her lip. "He did say something about…about you," she said, "about knowing you in another life. And he was acting….odd. That-that night." She trailed off. "But what would cause you to think anything of it?"

"Last night," Mary Margaret started, her voice level, "I-I saw something. In the snow. I went to talk to Dr. Hopper today about it because I needed answer, and ran into David afterwards. Then we both…we both saw something. Something completely and utterly bizarre. Something I can't explain. So I went to talk to Henry. I know it's silly, but at the time it made sense." She sighed. "And again I saw something! I can't explain any of it, but I'm looking for answers. I need answers."

Emma frowned again. "What do you mean 'saw something'?"

"They were like hallucinations, but not," Mary Margaret explained, frowning as well, "they were almost like memories. Memories of a different me, but still the same person. They felt right."

"Memories?" Emma replied.

"That's the best word for it," Mary Margaret said, "I know this is all so silly and everything. It shouldn't make sense, but it does. It really does. And David has something to do with it. As much as I might not want him to be a part of my life, he's a part of whatever's going on in Storybrooke, and I am too. We all are. And I think Regina knows."

"Regina," Emma's voice dripped with disdain. "You think she knows what's going on?"

"I know it," of this Mary Margaret was sure. "She also had something to do with Graham. She almost outright said it."

"I thought so," Emma sighed. "Whether you're right about all this or not, the woman is up to a whole lot of nothing good. That, I've known since I got here."

Mary Margaret nodded in agreement. "She told me to forget all this and stay grounded in reality."

"Well," Emma answered, "I'm not saying that you're right, but anything that woman recommends is probably not the best. Particularly considering she was behind Graham's death. I won't let that happen to you." She looked down at the Christmas decorations for a moment. "So what should we do from here?"

"It-It might sound crazy," Mary Margaret said tentatively, "but I think I might need to call David back."

Emma paused, her brow furrowed as she thought it over. "On any other day, that would be a very, very bad idea. But today, I think you both need closure. For your own sakes."

Mary Margaret nodded, and reached for the phone with pale delicate fingers.


	7. Chapter 7: At theTroll Bridge

**OOC: I'm loving the feedback everyone! Please, keep on reading and REVIEWING! Can you believe that in under 3 weeks, we've already reached almost 5000 views! I hope y'all enjoy this latest update, and that you keep on reading. It means the world to me! (edit: I removed that last sentence. I realized thanks to some important feedback, that my plot had taken a bad turn. I'm back on track now though Hopefully y'all will love chapter 8!)**

Mary Margaret's fingers shook as she pushed the buttons of the phone. Her mind was conflicted. Was this really the right thing to do? David had a wife; he had a happy and content life without her involved. Why should she go and ruin that? And besides, maybe she had imagined all of that that happened on the street. Maybe David would think she was crazy. Maybe this would all be for nothing. Maybe she really was destined to be alone.

"Mary Margaret?" she heard Emma ask. "Are you alright?"

Mary Margaret looked down to see her index finger poised above the call button, unmoving. Was she ready to jump back into the David stream? She had just been getting over him. Or had she? Maybe that was just a façade she put up to hide her longing in her heart for him. She knew deep down in her soul that there was a connection there, and maybe she hadn't gotten over it quite yet. "Oh, right," she finally replied, "I'm fine." And with that she hit 'call'. No going back. Control of her own life. No more being a pushover.

The dial tone sounded ominously.

BLEEEEEEP.

BLEEEEEEEP.

BLEEE-"Hullo?" David's husky voice sounded through the receiver.

Mary Margaret's breath caught in her throat for a moment, and she wondered if she would ever be able to breath. "David?"

"Mary Margaret?" he said, "thank goodness you got my call. I really need to talk to you."

"About what?" she said softly, and as she looked over at Emma the other woman cast her an encouraging thumbs up.

"Whatever it was that happened out on the street, I mean…" David paused as if he were collecting his thoughts, "something happened to me, and I'm thinking it did to you as well."

Mary Margaret bit her lip and nodded, and then remembered David couldn't actually see her through the phone. "It did," she said softly.

"Can we meet and figure this out?" David suggested, "I need answers."

"When?"

"Tomorrow morning?"

"I have to teach."

"Oh, right," David sighed. "How about right now?"

"Now?" Mary Margaret's eyes widened in surprise. Emma shot her a look of confusion.

"Why not?" David said. "The sooner we sort this out, the better."

"I guess you're right," Mary Margaret sighed, her mind drawing up images of what Regina would do if they waited too long. "Where?"

"The toll bridge?"

Mary Margaret smiled to herself. That place definitely held special meaning. "Well I guess I'll be seeing you soon David Nolan. The toll bridge it is."

"Hurry," he replied, and hung up, leaving Mary Margaret dazed and confused. She set the phone down on the coffee table and turned toward the coat hook, pulling her coat and scarf off of it.

"Are you leaving?" Emma asked, pulling herself to a standing position.

"I think I should talk to him," Mary Margaret answered, then shook her head, "no, I NEED to talk to him. Get this straightened out. And yes, I know that he has a wife. But something is going on, don't you see it Emma? Something about this town isn't right, and we're all a part of it! The sooner answers are found, the better. And I think this might give me some answers." _Or make me even more confused than before, _she added silently to herself.

"A phone call is different than actually meeting the guy," Emma pointed out. "And it's dark and cold out there, you must be crazy.

"I know, but this needs to be in person," Mary Margaret answered simply. "And I'll be fine."

"No you won't," Emma's face was serious, "If whatever happened to Graham is linked to what's happening to you, I'm not going to let you go wandering the streets alone this late. Something might happen. At least let me drive you."

Mary Margaret sighed, silently cursing her eco-friendly choice not to invest in a vehicle of her own. "I guess so," she said, and with that Emma reached her car keys and followed Mary Margaret out the door.

The drive itself was uneventful, as Emma silently focused on the snow-covered road and Mary Margaret herself was too lost in thought to talk. What would happen when she saw David again? Another vision? Again she wondered if they were not visions as much as memories. But memories of what? The very idea that Henry was proposing, well it was absurd. Fairy tales were just that, fairy tales. Mary Margaret, being a sensible person, knew that there was no sensible way that fairy tale characters existed in life, let alone she herself being one! It was outrageous. Yet, a large part of her mind wondered if she was being hypocritical. Hadn't she always taught the children that believing in something was the strongest power one could have? That imagination was powerful beyond measure? And hadn't she given Henry that book because he needed something to believe in? Maybe she herself needed something to believe in.

"Are you ok to do this?" Emma asked, as they pulled out of town and onto the back road leading to the toll bridge. "I mean, things are a little weird between you two….to say the least."

"I need to do this," Mary Margaret sighed, repeating what she had been telling herself since David called.

"If you say so," Emma replied, and paused, "so you see things in the snow?" She looked out the window at the waves of falling flakes surrounding the car, her face sceptical.

"I don't know," Mary Margaret sighed. "I don't really know anything for sure right now. I do know that something happened. Something not ordinary." She rested her head on her hand and stared out into the snow distantly. She was just repeating herself wasn't she? With all this claiming that something she can't explain happened. What she really needed to do was explain it. Mary Margaret sighed again, and felt her vision blur.

_She was in a carriage. She could feel the rumbling of wheels beneath her and hear the steady clip-clopping of hooves outside. Mary Margaret looked across from where she was sitting and saw David (James?) staring at her with a look of devotion. "Where did you say we were going again?" she heard herself ask. "You'll see," he smiled coyly and reached a hand across the space between them to stroke a stray piece of her hair. "No tell me," she smiled and pushed his hand away. "Do you remember when we met?" David smiled. "How can I forget?" Mary Margaret answered, "I stole your jewels. And look at us now, getting married in less than a week! Funny isn't it?" David looked out the carriage window. "It is," he said, "anyways, as a reminder of all that, we're going back to the place where it all started." Mary Margaret leaned forward and brushed back the curtains of the carriage, revealing a forest road, and in the distance an all too familiar bridge. "The troll bridge," she gasped in delight._

Mary Margaret blinked and she was back in reality. She shook her head and looked over to see Emma looking at her in confusion.

"Are you ok?" the other woman asked, "you kind of blanked out there for a second."

"I'm-I'm fine…" Mary Margaret sighed. She herself was amazed by her acceptance of this latest thought. This was almost the norm, though far from it. "It's nothing. Why did we stop?"

"We're here," Emma said simply and motioned to the sign on the road ahead. It read 'TOLL BRIDGE' but some vandal had drawn a crude 'r' in between the first two letters.

"Troll bridge," Mary Margaret mouthed to herself, staring at the sign.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Emma looked worried. "You don't have to do this you know."

"I need to do this," Mary Margaret replied, and opened the car door, letting in a swift and frigid gust of winter snow. She took a deep breath and wrapped her scarf around tighter. It was cold out tonight. She gently closed the car door and started towards the bridge. As she walked, Mary Margaret looked back to see Emma watching her sceptically from the car. _At least she's not coming with me, _Mary Margaret thought to herself as she turned back to face the bridge. Up ahead she could see a figure leaning on the guard rail, jacket collar popped against the wind and arms crossed. David.

"Mary Margaret," he said as she approached, and motioned to embrace her.

"Hi, David," Mary Margaret answered, stepping back to avoid his touch. "You wanted to talk."

"Yeah, I did. Do you know what happened on the street this afternoon?" his voice rushed with excitement. "I mean one moment we were there, and then we were in this room and you had long hair and I felt….different. That's the only way to describe it. I felt like a different person. But the same. You know, since I got my memories back, I thought I knew what was going on. I thought that my life had sorted itself out and gone back to normal. Like before. And it did, sort of. But after what happened on the street….something feels wrong about what I remember. What I saw this afternoon felt more real." He frowned. "But it wasn't was it? I mean that can't be real."

Mary Margaret felt the slightest tear come to her eye. David was so lost, so confused, so innocent. And she felt that feeling she had tried to repress for so long return. She did love him. In all his childlike innocence, kind heart and beautiful self she loved him. That love hurt though, because she knew he would never return it, at least not in this world. _He has a wife you know, _she told herself. And that wife loved him. Mary Margaret had almost ruined things for them once before, and she really didn't want to again. David didn't deserve that.

"Mary Margaret?" David asked, "Are you ok? I mean, I'm being outrageous, but this afternoon I felt something. Something I can only compare to that day I woke up. Right here." He motioned to the area around them. "I never realized it before, but there's something between us. Something. You must feel it too?"

Mary Margaret blinked back tears. Why had she come here? Why, why, why? She should have known that this would happen. What was it that she was looking for in coming here? Closure? Because obviously David was even more confused than she was. And it hurt her. She had only served in confusing him further. Maybe she really was ruining his life.

"Mary Margaret?" David said, and grasped both her hands. In an instant, they were both in a different place.

"_So many memories," Mary Margaret heard herself say as she gazed around at the stone bridge. It was startlingly similar to the illustrations in Henry's book. Worn and weathered cobblestones, with soft vines of ivy adorning them. A large chasm opened up beneath them, and Mary Margaret could imagine the trolls lurking below. She looked over to see David standing beside her, his hand clasped in his. "Indeed my Snow," he smiled, "and let us make another." Mary Margaret looked up to see David leaning in towards her. "Oh James," she gasped as their lips met._

Mary Margaret lurched back into reality only to find her face in very close contact with David's. She lingered in the moment, revelling in the pure rightness of all of it. This was what she was meant to be doing. With her prince. A stray thought interrupted her moment though. _He has a wife. _With a start she pulled away, gasping, and felt David do the same.

"What the hell was that?" he exclaimed, looking at her with both love and confusion.

"I-I…" Mary Margaret stammered, images of David and Kathryn running through her mind. "I can't do this, you have a wife!" Her emotions told another story though. She wanted nothing more than to pull David back onto her lips and to kiss him like she meant it. It felt so right; it felt so pure and clean. Every vision (memory?) she had experienced pointed her towards loving him. Her heart loved him more than she ever thought possible. She wanted to run back into her arms, but something sent her turning back towards the little yellow car where Emma looked on, her face frozen in pure shock.

"Snow!" David called, but Mary Margaret did not turn back. She kept on walking her mind ablaze.


	8. Chapter 8: Conflicts and Revelations

**OOC: Hello readers! Here it is chapter 8. Now, funny story about this. I initially posted it last night, and it was very different than it is now. I wrote very quickly, skimmed it over and then posted. It took one comment for me to realize that half of what I posted was pure not goodness. That comment made me realize that I had stopped writing this story from my heart, and was more focused on increasing viewer count that producing something I was proud of. What's more important is writing something sincere and directly from my heart. So I did some edits. Major ones. And the story coming to you now is what it's meant to be. Quality and sincerity. Oh, and if it's still not great, then review. Read and REVIEW my loves, because it's a review that saved me from sending this down a not so great path! I'm not changing again though, because I think I've finally conceived where this is going to end up, and it's going to only get better from here.**

When Mary Margaret reached the car, she was fully in tears and not even making an effort to control them. The sad thing was, she wasn't even fully sure why she was crying. David had kissed her! The very thing she had been dreaming of since….since David woke up…it had happened. But she knew it wasn't right. He had a wife! She couldn't ruin their marriage again when they were just picking up the pieces of the last cataclysmic rift she had caused. It wasn't right. But she couldn't deny that something was between them though! That latest vision (memory?) on the bridge was proof enough of that. And obviously David realized that too. Maybe that's why she was crying. Because David realized it too. And that hurt her, that a part of her was happy that David might love her even if it might mean the end of his marriage. She hated that she wanted him to love her, even though she knew he shouldn't. He really, really shouldn't! Marriage was a deep bond, and Mary Margaret believed strongly in the power of true love. Maybe David and Kathryn had true love, and she was just interrupting the whole thing.

_But Snow and James have true love, _Mary Margaret found herself thinking as she walked. And she knew it was true. She had felt it in that vision (memory?) She had felt a love greater than she had ever felt before. And it hurt to feel that love for someone who was married. She wanted to say that it just wasn't right, but her heart kept yearning for David's touch.

"Mary Margaret," by the time she had reached the car, Emma had already gotten out and intercepted her. "Are you ok, I mean….That was-um-really weird."

Mary Margaret brushed past her and got into the car silently, tears streaming down her face. Emma turned around and got back into the driver's seat.

"Why did I do this?" Mary Margaret sobbed. "Why? I mean, what kind of a positive outcome could have come from this? I'm such an idiot." She let her head fall against the car window.

"What happened?" Emma's voice was concerned.

Mary Margaret took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. "He said that he felt some sort of a connection between us," she gulped, "and that I must too. And then, when we touched we…we both saw something. When we came to, somehow we were kissing." She felt another sob wrack her body. "We were kissing Emma. He has a wife and we were kissing! I can't do that to him, or to Kathryn. I already wrecked it for them once before."

"I'm…I'm not sure what to say," Emma looked more than a little bit lost.

"And you know what?" Mary Margaret continued, turning to face the other woman. "I liked that he wanted to be with me. I loved it in fact! There was nothing more I wanted to do than to kiss him more and just be there with him. I felt completely and utterly in love with him. And I hate myself for it! I'm a terrible person."

"No," Emma sighed. "You aren't a terrible person."

"But I am!" Mary Margaret rubbed her tear stained cheek with her cardigan sleeve. "I am. I wanted to be with him and that would mean ruining a marriage. That makes me terrible. The last time this happened, he chose her. I gave myself up completely and he chose her. That hurt, Emma. But you know what? The fact that I'm still in love with him and he might feel the same hurts even more. The fact that he might leave her for me…again. And I want it! That's what makes me terrible."

"No," Emma laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "It makes you human. No one can make everybody happy all of the time. Your happiness matters most of all."

Mary Margaret flashed back to that vision she had seen in the store window on her way home. That alternative self, be the visions real or fake, had seemed confident and poised. And that had impacted her real self. What had happened to that in-charge-of-her-own-life, confident and determined woman? She had had her sights set on running her own life, and already she was back to her old mentality. "I guess it does," she sighed. "But I'm still really confused."

"You have a right to be," Emma replied, peering out the window. "Some confusing shit is going down. And I don't like it." She glared at the trees as if evil would reveal itself.

"I don't either," Mary Margaret said, smiling slightly to herself. "But where do we go from here?"

"You said you saw something again out on the bridge?"

"Yes," Mary Margaret paused and gazed at the bridge. "We both did." She wondered what it was exactly that she had seen. She had come here looking for answers about the visions, and still she had no idea if they bore any resemblance to reality. If they were products of her imagination, or something much much more. Mary Margaret had to admit to herself though, they were really starting to seem like something more.

"Well, I propose this," Emma started. "We need to find out more about what you've been seeing. And apparently the boy who's an expert on that is Henry." She frowned slightly, as if she doubted the helpfulness of a 10 year old boy, even if he was her son. "I mean, from what you told me about today he seemed like the most helpful encounter…that is before Regina showed up. And maybe we should see Dr. Hopper too. He is certified to deal with this kind of stuff."

"I talked to Dr. Hopper today," Mary Margaret said softly. "But he reported everything back to Regina. She's blackmailing him." She couldn't help but admire Emma's take action attitude. It was something she herself had been avoiding for her whole life, letting others lead the way.

"Well he's not telling her anything if I'm there, that's for sure," Emma said determinedly. "I'll make sure of that."

Mary Margaret moved to protest, but knew it was futile. In the short time she had known Emma the newcomer had seemed to be a very strong-willed and confident person. _Like Snow White, _Mary Margaret thought to herself. Again she pondered the fairy-tale connection Henry claimed StoryBrooke to have. Was that even possible? Not too long ago, Mary Margaret would have denied its possibility. But lately, things were getting, to put it simply, weird. "Ok then," she said aloud.

"But first," Emma said, starting up the car. "I think we both need rest. Home for hot chocolate with cinnamon, and then a new day of Operation Cobra tomorrow?"

"Operation Cobra?" Mary Margaret had thought she'd heard references to the term from Henry, but she wasn't sure what it was exactly.

Emma shrugged as she started to drive forward. "Ask Henry about it when you see him. He'd be more than ecstatic to explain." Mary Margaret watched her lips form into a small smile, and she realized that Emma did love her son. Maybe at first the blond woman had felt confusion, bewilderment and even fear at having a child, but it had turned to love. That love had steadily grown since she came to StoryBrooke, and Mary Margaret was glad. Henry needed that maternal love from someone, seeing as Regina was not the one to supply it.

As the car inched across the snow-laden bridge, Mary Margaret felt a stab of confusion in her heart. This encounter had brought her no answers, only more confusion and more questions. For the longest time she had let herself forget about David, she had let him live his life. But that just didn't feel right. It didn't feel right at all. Whether she liked it or not, she had a connection with him. A connection she felt incredibly guilty about. After what had just happened on the bridge, she wasn't afraid to admit to herself that she loved him…she loved him. But the kind of person she was just didn't feel right going in and potentially ruining their relationship again. Mary Margaret had never felt so conflicted before. On one hand, she could find the answers to her questions about these visions and let herself love David and maybe see if true love exists. On the other, she could let their marriage be and not meddle. Not go against the norm. Not disrupt the natural order. Then it dawned on her.

"Wait a second," Mary Margaret exclaimed suddenly. "What did I say about my conversation with Regina this afternoon?"

"That she told you to not disrupt the natural balance. To forget all this and move on," Emma replied, her expression confused.

"Yes! And what did you say when I was debating whether or not to come here?"

"That Regina's advice was probably not the best," Emma finished. "Why?"

"Because," Mary Margaret couldn't help but smile at her revelation. "Giving up on David, letting him go back to Kathryn and continuing on like nothing happened. It's exactly what she wants me to do. Maybe, maybe the best thing is to let myself feel what I want to feel. To let myself do what I want to do. Because for years I and other people in this town have let ourselves be pushed around by people like Regina, and only recently has that started to change. And look, now these weird visions and the whole thing with David…something is happening in StoryBrooke, Emma, something that definitely goes against the norm. I don't know what it is yet, but I think we need to let it happen rather than trying to force it not to happen." Mary Margaret was excited by the whole concept, and amazed that things had finally started to click.

"I think you might be on to something," Emma frowned slightly, biting her lip. "But you really need to talk to Henry before you get to carried away, because that's what Operation Cobra is all about. He may be just a kid, but he's spurting the same idea that you are, and the same concept Graham was touching on. There must be a connection."


	9. Chapter 9: A Child

**OOC: Hello again lovely readers! Here's another chapter, hot off the presses for you to read, enjoy, and REVIEW! I hope you like the turn this is taking; I'm having a ton of fun writing it. This probably will be the last chapter you get before the new episode on Sunday…when my canon may be entirely messed up. I'll try to continue on anyways even if that is the case though! I do warn my updates will become significantly less frequent starting next week seeing as I have to return to classes….Anywho, enjoy this one for now!**

Mary Margaret awoke the next day with a sense of purpose in mind. She actually had a plan, and for the first time since the visions had started she felt like she had some sort of grip on the situation. The answer had been so simple and yet she hadn't seen it before. Her entire life, she had been playing into Regina's welcoming hands. She had stayed docile, quiet and submissive because that's all she knew how to do. It was who she was. She lived life to please others; she lived life to stay in the background. But last night, last night she had finally realized that maybe that wasn't the best way to live. She deserved to choose for herself, and she deserved to not be afraid of what others might think or do. That strong-willed mentality she had after the vision in the window was back, but it felt more real this time. Mary Margaret felt like this was the first step to really being the person she wanted to be.

She walked to school with the slightest traces of a smile on her face, ready to face the day and maybe finally find some answers. Mary Margaret was ready to find out what Operation Cobra was exactly, what Henry knew, why this was happening, and how it connected to David. Oh David. Last night's realization of her love for him still echoed through her lonely heart. Admitting that she loved him to herself was one thing, actually seeing him again and taking charge…that was entirely another. Despite her grand revelation of deciding to no longer do as Regina pleases, Mary Margaret still couldn't help but be wary of the eventual prospect of following her feelings through to the end. That person who was afraid of ruining a marriage was still a part of her, just now shrouded by a wave of determination to find answers.

"I need answers," Mary Margaret said to herself as she stopped at the crosswalk and looked up at the morning sky. Yesterday had been so cold, snowy and windy. Today though, today was beautiful. Mary Margaret couldn't help but marvel at the shining ice crystals on the trees and the stunning sunlight that illuminated the entire town before her. It was beautiful. Mary Margaret felt invigorated by the stunning sun. When she looked back down at the road, her vision blurred and suddenly she was in a very different place.

_The beautiful sun still shone brilliantly overhead, illuminating a grand medieval looking marketplace filled with a motley assortment of tents and stands. Mary Margaret did not see the full scale of it though, for she found her face shrouded by a dark hood pulled low over her eyes. She looked up for a moment to see a grizzly shopkeeper peering at her. "So you want some magic eh?" the man growled, and Mary Margaret felt herself nod in return. "Well I've got just the thing," the man continued, and pulled a small vial of dust from his coat pocket. "It's fairy dust. It'll turn even the most fearsome of opponents into something easily squashed." Mary Margaret felt her heart soar, and her mind rushed with thoughts of how she could use it to finally achieve her goal. With that dust came power, and confidence. The power to decide her own fate and take control of what was opposing her in her life. The queen. With that dust she could have answers. "I'll take it," Mary Margaret heard herself say, and handed the man a fistful of coins. She took the small vial and fixated it to a chain around her neck. She now had a mission, a purpose, and a way to achieve it._

Reality jumped back at Mary Margaret and she blinked for a moment in the startling sunlight of the real world. It had happened again. And that time she had felt even more into it, as if she were actually recounting something that had happened. The thoughts, they felt like those of a different person yet the same. It wasn't like Mary Margaret was listening to the thoughts of another, rather she was remembering.

"Remembering?" she whispered softly to herself, wondering yet again what was going on. She shook her head, praying that she would find answers, before crossing the street and continuing on with her day.

By the end of the school day, Mary Margaret was ready for the answers she had so long awaited. She had enjoyed teaching the children as usual, but with only two days left until the big Christmas day, and this being the last day of school, they were a handful for her already flustered mind. When the last bell finally rang, she couldn't help but sigh in relief. Now on to what was plaguing her. Mary Margaret started to shuffle her papers to organize them to bring home. Then she remembered that answers might be right there in that very room.

"Henry," she called. "Could you come here for a minute?"

"Sure thing Ms. Blanchard," the little boy smiled as he trudged up to her desk, not taking notice as the last of his classmates filed out, eager for Christmas break.

"I know this is weird of me to ask," she started tentatively. "But remember what we talked about yesterday?"

"With you remembering all that?" he smiled, and then frowned. "And then my mother coming and interrupting it. Yeah I do. Did you see something else?" His frown turned to a look of excitement. Mary Margaret marvelled at how quickly the emotions of children could change.

"Last night Emma said something about something call Operation Cobra," she continued tentatively.

"You mean my mom?" Henry replied, and Mary Margaret couldn't contain a smile at his distinction between mom and mother. His mother was the one who raised him, but his mom would always be the one who saved him. "Yeah, Operation cobra is a secret mission we're on." He leaned in close and his voice dropped to a whisper.

"A secret mission?" Mary Margaret spoke softly, deciding to play along. "A mission about what?"

"Breaking the curse," Henry answered as if that were the most logical explanation of all.

"The curse?" But Mary Margaret had heard Henry speak of it before, when he first got that book.

"Yeah, the curse," he continued. "You all were living happily ever after in the enchanted forest when the evil queen cast a horrible curse, banishing everyone here and making them forget who they were. So the only happily ever after was hers."

"Right," Mary Margaret nodded distantly. "And you think I'm Snow White."

"Ms. Blanchard," Henry said seriously, his little eyes seeming to bore into her soul. "I don't think I'm the only one who believes that anymore."

Mary Margaret fell silent and bit her lip. Was she really starting to believe in what Henry spoke of? True, she was significantly more accepting of those random visions than she had been two nights before. And they had started to feel more and more real. More and more right. And that whole thing with David…

"Anyways," she sighed, avoiding answering his question because she wasn't sure what she believed anymore. "How do we break this curse?"

"I would show you in my book," Henry explained and sighed. "But my mom and I burned the last pages. Destroying the evidence so the evil queen wouldn't find it. Basically a prophecy said that on their 28th birthday a saviour would come, and bring about the start of a final battle to end the curse for good. It's already started though. Graham started to remember…and now you are. Things are changing already."

Mary Margaret felt her gaze wander to the window. This was a lot to take in, considering she still wasn't fully committed to believing its truth. She sighed and looked back at the boy. She couldn't give up on her need for answers, nor could she give up on the excitement and thrill that plastered Henry's face. A part of her was itching for explanation of this scenario Henry was proposing, and she was intrigued by the idea of it.

"Henry," she said. "Remind me again who you think everyone is." Maybe something would jog this apparent other memory the boy claimed her to have.

"Well Dr. hopper's Jiminy Cricket," Henry explained. "And Mr. Gold's Rumplestiltskin. Sheriff Graham was the huntsman, and that lady who always wears the tiny shorts and shows off her butt is Little Red Riding Hood. My mother is the evil queen, and David's wife is Prince Charming's fiancée. David's Prince Charming and you…well you're Snow White. There's lot's more though. Everyone's someone."

"Ok then," Mary Margaret replied. "Who's your mom supposed to be?" She frowned slightly. She thought she remembered asking Emma when they first met if she was in Henry's book, but she wanted to hear the boy's own theories.

"She's the one who's going to save everyone," Henry explained smartly. "That's why things started happening when she got here."

"Why her?" Mary Margaret asked.

"Because," Henry took a deep breath and paused as if he were debating whether or not to answer. "Because the prophecy said that the child of Snow White and Prince Charming would return to save everyone. Right before the curse hit, the newborn baby was put inside a magic tree which protected her from its effects and gave her the chance to grow up away from the curse and eventually return to save the day." He sighed and looked up at her.

Mary Margaret's heart had stopped that the first sentence. _The child of Snow White and Prince Charming. _If everything that Henry was saying was true….if in some twisted way she actually was a fairy-tale princess…then she had a child. A child she never knew about. And not only that, but that very child was probably on her way to the school at that moment to accompany Mary Margaret to Dr. Hopper's office as planned. But that's only if it's true. This is all coming from a 10 year old boy. That's what Mary Margaret tried to repeatedly rationalize to herself. The scary part was though, that she was starting to half-believe that maybe it was all true. Too many puzzle pieces fit together too perfectly. Henry's story, paired with her experiences of the last two days, they seemed to fit together perfectly.

"A child," she said softly, her face frozen in shock, the determined set of mind she had had earlier cast aside in a wave of confusion and panic. A child.


	10. Chapter 10: Things are Starting to Move

**OOC: Hey y'all! Sorry for the late update. I'm back to school now, which means more time for exams and less for the wonders of fanfiction. But I'll have a new one up within a week! Thankyou so much for making this a 10 000 hit story (that's a big deal for me) and keep on coming. Read and REVIEW my friends, it makes me smile all the time. Enjoy this!**

Mary Margaret was unable to speak. What Henry had said; it made no sense at all yet made perfect sense. Looking at it realistically, there was no possible way. But nothing that had happened in the last few days, or really the past few months for that matter could've and should've been defined as realistic. Mary Margaret had slowly learned that anything was possible in StoryBrooke, so why not this? It was incredibly hard to accept though. The concept of not only having a child, but having that child with a man she was incredibly confused about as well as that child being the same age as her….it was difficult to process. Incredibly difficult. Mary Margaret knew neither what to say, nor what to even think about what Henry had just said.

"Ms. Blanchard?" she felt Henry's little hand tugging at the sleeve of her sweater. "Are you ok? You kind of went all quiet."

"I'm-I'm fine," Mary Margaret stammered, awakening herself from her daze of confusion. But was she really fine? She looked down at the little boy, surveying the look of worry plastered across his face. Then it dawned on her. If what Henry claimed was true, and Emma was somehow….then that made Henry…that made Henry her grandson. The thought of that seemed even more outrageous than the possibility of Emma being…of Emma being her daughter. Then again, everything seemed outrageous lately.

"You don't look fine," Henry said bluntly.

"No, really," Mary Margaret blinked several times. "I'm-I'm fine." She took a deep breath and tried to calm her racing heart, but she was startled by a knock at the door. Mary Margaret's head snapped around, and there, standing in the doorway awkwardly, stood Emma.

"Are you ready to go Mary?" she asked, frowning.

Mary Margaret tried to speak, but her breath caught in her throat. She could see it, she really could. The shape of the chin. The furrowing of the eyebrows. Even the way Emma bit her lip nervously was something Mary Margaret had seen in herself before. And hot chocolate with cinnamon! How could she have forgotten that odd similarity! But still, Mary Margaret tried to cast those thoughts aside. She was hunting for similarities, hunting for reasons the prove Henry right. He probably (maybe? Potentially?) was wrong anyways. It made no sense! _Right, _she told herself, _No sense at all._

"Um," Mary Margaret stammered slightly, finally finding the words to speak. "Yeah…yeah I'm ready." She felt her eyes wander back to Emma's face, searching for details.

"Ok," Emma said, absentmindedly rubbing her hands together. "Let's get going then."

"Can I come too?" Henry's little voice sounded

"No," Emma replied simply. "Your mother is going to be looking for you I'm sure."

"No she won't!" Henry beamed. "She's got a meeting."

Emma sighed, and looked up at the ceiling, as if asking for answers from above.

"Let him come Emma," Mary Margaret said softly. "There's no harm, and he seems to know best what's going on." What she really wanted though was not to be alone with Emma. Henry's revelation….she wasn't fully accepting of it, but it did make uncanny sense, and Mary Margaret felt uncomfortable just looking at Emma, let alone being alone with her. Henry would be a nice buffer between the two of them until Mary Margaret got her thoughts sorted out on what was going on.

"So long as I don't have to answer to her," Emma sighed and started out the door, motioning for Mary Margaret and Henry to follow. The drive was a short and quiet one. Emma seemed determinedly set on talking to Archie and getting answers, so she spent the entire time staring straight ahead and frowning. Henry was unusually silent in the back seat, but Mary Margaret heard the occasional rustle of pages and she knew he had pulled out that darn Storybook again. Probably researching more things to tell her about her apparent 'alter-self'. Mary Margaret herself, well she spent the majority of the ride calmly staring at her clasped hands, her thoughts ablaze. After what had happened last night on the Toll Bridge, she had really been starting to kind of mentally comprehend what was going on. By no means had she accepted it, but it seemed more and more possible. Then Henry just had to throw in the ultimate monkey wrench. Now Mary Margaret was even more confused than after that first vision in the snow. The problem this time was that she was so ready to believe. So ready to almost put her faith in some form of even the slightest bit of Henry's idea. But she wasn't sure if she wanted to believe in the fact that she had a child. Magic, dreams and fantasies were one thing, but actual living proof was something completely different.

"Are you sure you're ok Mary Margaret?" Emma's voice dripped with concern as the car pulled to a steady stop outside of Archie's office building.

"I'm fine," Mary Margaret sighed and attempted a weak smile, before getting out of the car. Within a few minutes, the three of them were poised outside of Archie's door, just as Mary Margaret had been the day before. _If Henry's right, we make up three generations, _she thought to herself and then cast that thought aside before raising her hand to knock.

The door opened quickly, revealing a very surprised looking Dr. Hopper. "Mary Margaret! Emma! Henry!" he smiled as he saw them, then his smile faltered as he seemed to remember something. With the slightest nudge he closed his door slightly. "What brings you here today?"

"There's something we need to talk about with you," Emma said bluntly.

"Oh, I'm very sorry but I can't right now!" Archie moved to close the door completely, but Mary Margaret suddenly shot her foot out to catch it.

"I know about Regina," she said softly, knowing from the man's eyes that he was experiencing immense guilt, and it hurt her to see him in such torment.

Archie sighed. "You have to understand! They were going to take away Pongo's medication!" He trailed off slightly and avoided their gazes.

"We do understand," Emma replied. "And we aren't here about that. We're just here to talk."

"Well if you insist," Archie sighed, though his guilt seemed to have faded a little with Emma's forgiveness. "Come on in, have a seat." He opened the door and the three of them filed into the familiar office. Henry immediately bounded in and settled into a large plush armchair, while Emma and Mary Margaret took opposite ends of the couch. As Archie settled himself down, he clapped his hands together.

"Well, what can I do for you?" he smiled.

Mary Margaret frowned slightly and then started tentatively. "Do you remember our conversation yesterday?"

"Why of course!" Archie tried to keep his smile, but Mary Margaret could see it falter.

"Have you-have you thought about it at all?" she replied softly.

Archie frowned. "Beside my call, which by the way I'm so very sorry for; I can't say that I have."

Mary Margaret shook her head in a slight gesture of forgiveness. "I understand," she said. "But do you think I'm crazy about what I was talking about yesterday? With not remembering anything, and seeing things and all that?" Her voice cracked slightly.

Archie's brow furrowed. "I don't think you're crazy," he answered hesitantly. "I think you're confused."

"I think we all are," Emma piped in. "There's a whole lot of confusion going down."

Mary Margaret sighed and put a hand to her face, rubbing her temples. Everything seemed to be a mess right then. She looked over at the plushy armchair where Henry was seated silently. He was looking intensely at the fireplace and seemed to be deep in thought. As Mary Margaret watched, a sense of realization seemed to dawn in the little boy's as he suddenly looked up. His gaze flashed between Archie and her.

"I've got it!" Henry exclaimed.

"What?" the other three in the room spoke simultaneously.

"Dr. Hopper," he looked over at Archie and then turned to Mary Margaret. "Ms. Blanchard. You two need to touch! Something about being in the moment and touching and….oh I don't know but you said that something happened with David when you two touched."

"Oh Henry," Mary Margaret sighed, her heart wrenching at the thought of David. "David's-David's different." She sighed.

"Just try!" his voice was pleading. "Maybe if he sees it himself, Dr. Hopper will believe!" With that he grabbed her hand and dragged it across the coffee table before grabbing Archie's and doing the same. "Think about what you were thinking about when the last visions happened. Snow! Look at the snow outside!" He was excited and there was a fire burning in his little eyes. Mary Margaret, despite her scepticism and apprehension about all that was going on, couldn't help but feel the urge to believe simply due to the young boy's passion. He was so passionate, so pure. He believed so whole-heartedly that good would win, and that all of this would sort itself out.

"Oh Henry," she sighed.

"Try it," he said blatantly, and fixed her with a pleading stare. Mary Margaret looked across the coffee table at Archie, who stared back with confusion in his eyes. Mary Margaret saw that as her own confusion, her own bewilderment. They all needed answers and maybe Henry was right. He seemed to be right about a lot of things. With yet another sighed, Mary Margaret extended her hand until it was almost touching Archie's and fixed her gaze on his. Almost reluctantly he stretched his fingers until they brushed against hers. Trying to follow Henry's advice, Mary Margaret stared past Archie at the snow covered window sill. Nothing happened. Not right away anyways. Then suddenly she was in another place.

_Mary Margaret found herself seated at a large round table, with many familiar figures around her. At her side was David, adorned in royal garb as he had been before. Further along was the diner girl Ruby, a red cape on her shoulders along with the handyman Marco, friendly old Granny, grumpy Leroy and several others. It seemed that a large portion of the familiar faces from town were around there. Mary Margaret felt her hands fall to her stomach, and to her surprise it was swollen with pregnancy. That didn't stop her enthusiasm though. "Don't underestimate her power. She's capable of so much," Mary Margaret heard herself say with passion. "Ah, but Snow," a small voice sounded that Mary Margaret couldn't place. "No one is unconquerable. Good does stand a chance against evil."_

With a start Mary Margaret flashed back into the real world, and felt Archie recoil away from her.

"What just happened?" his face widened in shock. "I mean there was this round table, and you were there, and a whole bunch of other people. And we were discussing something! And you, you were pregnant!" He looked utterly confused.

Mary Margaret felt her hands go instinctively to her flat stomach and she glanced over at Emma. Henry meanwhile was beaming with joy. "It's working!" he smiled. "Thing's are finally set in motion!"

"What do you mean Henry?" Archie asked, his face still utterly confused.

"The curse! You're starting to remember!" he explained. "Graham was remembering, and then he died. Then Ms. Blanchard started to, and David, and now you. Things are starting to happen! It's amazing isn't it?"

"Oh right, I remember you talking about the curse," Archie sighed. "But if it's ending, or whatever it is you claim, what's causing this?" Mary Margaret was surprised by his calm acceptance, and then she realized that this was his job. He dealt with Henry's theories every week, and had learned that acceptance was the best way to deal with him. Mary Margaret smiled to herself as she witnessed the bond between doctor and student. Then she once again remembered the crisis at hand.

"Well it's because my mom came back," Henry explained. "There was this prophecy that said that the child of Snow White and Prince Charming would return and break the curse. And since she came back, things have started happening!"

"But wait, wouldn't that make Mary Margaret…." Archie started and trailed off.

"My mother," Emma finished. Mary Margaret felt Emma's gaze lock upon her, and she instinctively cringed.


	11. Chapter 11: The Heart Should be Loudest

**OOC: Hello lovely readers! I know I promised this latest chapter within a week, but I was busy. Also, my Once Upon a Time component to my brain was overloaded with pure fangirl joy at this week's episode (Insert fangirl squeee here) Anywho, on to this piece of fiction! I personally really enjoy this latest chapter, and I hope you do too. In particular, Archie's little monologue towards the end is one of my favourite bits I've written for this story. As always, read and REVIEW, it's what keeps me going. I hope you're all getting as into this story as I am, and I look forward to continuing on from here. Love y'all!**

Mary Margaret opened her mouth to speak but not a sound came out. What could she say? Sure, she could deny all matriarchal facts to Emma, point out the obvious. They were the same age. They only met mere months ago. There was no physical way. No physical way. Mary Margaret wanted nothing more than to state all of those facts and brush the whole idea aside as a mere whim. But she couldn't. She couldn't bring herself to say those things.

"It's impossible!" Archie exclaimed, his eyes betraying his inner bewilderment. "I mean, you two are the same age! There's no probable way!" A sigh escaped Mary Margaret's lips as Archie said exactly what she herself couldn't bring herself to say.

"But there is a way!" Henry explained. "Time was stopped here. No one aged. My mom was born right when the curse fell down, 28 years ago. The town's been waiting for her to return, so time can be set in motion again! Things are starting to move!"

Mary Margaret frowned, contemplating the thought of 28 years of time standing still. If that was true, how could she not have noticed? She did after all, live in StoryBrooke her entire life. But then again, how long was that? Biting her lip slightly, Mary Margaret tried to recall memories of being a child. Of those carefree days of freedom she saw in the children she taught. No matter how she tried though, only a muddled haze met her mental probing. She couldn't remember. Mary Margaret's thoughts fell to yesterday's meeting with Archie. She had been toying lost memories at that time, and once again the topic had made reappearance. She had never really thought about her past, but now it seemed that her past was all too present.

"Surely an entire town can't be frozen in time for 28 years and none of the residents notice," Archie countered.

"It's the curse!" Henry exclaimed. "But it's breaking now. That's why you're starting to remember what you were like before it."

Archie frowned and looked over at Emma. "You've been rather quiet Ms. Swann. What have you to say on this?"

Emma seemed to hesitate before speaking. "I'm not going to jump in and claim that all of this is true," she started. "I mean it is a lot to take at once." Her gaze shifted momentarily to Mary Margaret. "Henry told me all about the curse when I first got here. As you can imagine, I was sceptical. And that's not to say I still am. Things have been happening that I can't explain though. Like all human beings, I want answers. Why did Graham die? What is Regina's problem? Why can't anyone leave? What has Mary Margaret been seeing? Why do I oddly like hot cocoa with cinnamon just like certain other people…" Her voice caught slightly and she trailed off, her gaze once again momentarily resting on Mary Margaret. With a deep intake of breath, Emma continued. "Like I said, I'm not ready to blindly accept all of this. But right now it is an explanation, and I think it's best that we see where it leads us. If this isn't the answer, then maybe it'll point out what is. By no means am I diving in headfirst; just dangling my toes in the water to get a feel for it. We'll see where it leads from there."

The entire room was silent for a moment as they all pondered her words. Finally, Mary Margaret spoke. "I think I agree," she said tentatively, avoiding direct eye contact with Emma. "We all need answers, and right now this idea seems to be pointing in the right direction. I say we follow it. I'm telling you right now though; I am not going to suddenly move into a house with seven little men." She laughed nervously, attempting to clear the awkward and serious mood that had enveloped the room. Inside though, Mary Margaret still felt as awkward and serious as before. Bewilderment still rattled her brain, and she still needed definite answers.

Archie laughed softly at her comment and clapped his hands together with a smile. "Nor am I planning on befriending a wooden boy. But you both are right in saying that we need answers. Let's see where this road leads why don't we?"

"Operation Cobra!" Henry smiled. "It works a whole lot better now that you two are starting to accept this." He pointed at Archie and Mary Margaret.

"Operation Cobra," Emma repeated with a smile and slid Henry a high-five.

"What do we do from here?" Mary Margaret asked, glad the topic was off of her potential previous childbirth. That was an idea she still really needed to ponder herself.

Henry frowned slightly. "Have you talked to David since what happened on the street yesterday?"

"David?" Mary Margaret's voice cracked as recent memories rushed back in. The car ride out to the toll bridge. Her steadfast mental barricade against loving him. Then….touching him. Seeing (Remembering?) whatever that was with him. Kissing him. Leaving him. That's how she had last seen him. Alone, confused, heartbroken, and dazed in the snowy blizzard. With a gentle brush of her pale hand, Mary Margaret wiped away a single tear that had escaped her eye. Her heart ached at the thought of him hurting. She wanted nothing more than to kiss him again. To hold him again. Mary Margaret remembered that resolve she had felt last night and that very morning. She had seemingly decided to let herself love David wholeheartedly. Regina wanted her to be scared. Regina wanted her to be conquerable. As determined as she might have been, that conquerable, conflict-avoiding side was still a part of her. "He has a wife who loves him." She said softly, repeating the words she had heard so many times.

"He doesn't love her though," Henry replied seriously. "Not like he loves you. And you love him. True love can't be stopped, even by the curse. It's just put on hold. But you're starting to remember your love for each other."

"It's what Regina wants," Emma added. "For some sick reason, she wants to see you hurt inside, to be alone. But even I can't deny that something is between you and David. Remember what we talked about last night. The last thing she wants to see is you, or anyone in this town for that matter, thinking on your own accord. She holds no power over your own thoughts though. If stopping this curse or whatever is going against Regina, then we have to stop cowering and letting her hold the power." She glanced over at Archie who cowered slightly; obviously still feeling guilt for his fateful phone call.

"I know," Mary Margaret sighed and brushed away another stray tear, unsure of how to reply.

"If I might offer my insight," Archie said, clearing his throat. "Love is a special thing. So many seek it. So many more try to pass off mere 'like' as love. But true love. True, unconditional love. It's a rare thing. That being said, I've seen it. After he woke up, David came to several sessions with me to see if I could jog his memory. We never really got anywhere, but the one thing I noticed was what he spoke about. His life with Kathryn. His confusion. But most of all…you. And whenever he started on about walking around the hospital grounds with you, or you bringing him flowers in the hospital, or the moment when he opened his eyes and saw you, his eyes alit with such a sparkle I've never seen before. His eyes were alit with true love. And I see it in your eyes at this very moment. You can try to hide it as you will, but true love will find a way. It always does. You need to treasure what you have, for it's a rare thing. True love….it's more important than whatever it is Regina wants you to do with your life. Ignore what she says, and listen to what your heart says. If there's something I learned in the mineshaft, and relearned today apparently, it's that your heart should be the loudest voice of all when you choose how your life is going to go. It should trumpet loudly over all other influences, because your heart is the true decider of who you are. Your heart is what makes you, well, you." He sighed and looked down at his hands.

Mary Margaret blinked slowly as she absorbed his words. She wanted to ask herself if what she felt for David was true love, but she didn't even bother. She knew at her very core. She couldn't explain why, but she loved him. She loved him truly, deeply, and intensely. She loved him in a way that she couldn't explain fully. She loved him simply because he was him, in all his entirety. "You're right," she said softly. "I love him more than anything else." She paused and once again pictured what had happened last night on the toll bridge. "But he doesn't know that. I told him that I can't love him. That he has a wife. And then I just left him there." Her breath caught in her throat.

"We need to go see him," Henry said.

"Go talk to him?" the idea seemed both incredibly not good and appealing at the same time. While there was nothing Mary Margaret wanted to do more than be in his arms again, she wasn't sure if she could emotionally take all that went along with seeing him again.

"I agree with Henry," Emma added. "You and David obviously feel strongly for each other, and you need to make things right. In the end it's all a part of this grand scheme. Besides, obviously you're a little emotionally overwrought about this, and you know as well as I do that you need to fully accept your love for him. And I think that acceptance can best come from seeing firsthand his love for you."

Mary Margaret wanted to protest and ask what they would do about Kathryn, but the other three seemed so bent on the quest for true love. _Besides, _she told herself, _the part of me that worries about Kathryn is the part Regina wants to see. _With a sigh Mary Margaret forced a smile. "To David's we go then."


	12. Chapter 12: Meeting on the Doorstep

**OOC: Hey y'all! I'm loving all the fabulous REVIEWs, keep them coming! Here's chapter 12, I hope it's worthy of your enjoyment. I just have to say, this had been my favourite fic to write ever, and it will continue to be as I continue to add on! Keep on reading my friends, and if you have to time, drop a review or two. Thanks for your continued support; it keeps me motivated to pump out more and more chapters. Peace, love, and hot coca with cinnamon to all!**

"Wonderful!" Archie smiled. "I would love to accompany all of you to Mr. Nolan's but, I am kind of at work after all." He chuckled, but Mary Margaret sensed a nervousness to his tone.

"It's ok," Emma said. "I think this is something Mary Margaret needs to do on her own. If we all go rushing in there, nothing good will come of it."

"What exactly am I supposed to do again?" Mary Margaret asked, biting her lip.

Henry turned to answer, but instead answered with a question. "How much do you love him?"

Mary Margaret sighed and looked down. "More than anything," she said softly. "I mean….yeah, more than anything. I know it sounds crazy, but what I was seeing in those visions or whatever they were; it felt more right than anything I can remember. He's supposed to have a place in my life, and a big one. There's a hole that he fills." She trailed off with another sigh.

"You need to tell him that," Henry stated with a smile. "And let him know that remembering is ok too." Emma and Archie nodded in agreement. "Once he starts to remember too," Henry continued. "Things will continue to move forward with breaking the curse. Archie was right, true love is powerful and once you and David share it together, we'll definitely be on our way to breaking the curse!" He beamed with a childlike carefree optimism. It didn't matter what Regina did, or if Kathryn was there or any other obstacle that might come along. Mary Margaret could see that Henry believed true love made anything possible. His devotion almost made her want to believe it as well.

"Well then we best be setting off then," a faint smile tugged at Mary Margaret's lips.

"I'll drive you and then park around the corner and wait," Emma suggested, standing and pulling on her coat.

"What about me?" Henry asked.

"You need to get home mister," Emma replied sternly. "Your mother won't be at a meeting forever." The little boy sighed but didn't protest as he too readied to leave. Mary Margaret stood and wrapped her scarf, revelling in its warm softness for the slightest of moment.

"Well thank you for that….interesting meeting for sure," Archie smiled as he led them out.

"Thanks for helping me kind of make sense of things," Mary Margaret said with the slightest laugh. As the three of them turned to close the door to Archie's office, Henry managed a final farewell.

"Thanks Mr. Cricket!"

The last glimpse Mary Margaret caught of Archie's face was a sudden flash of recognition, quickly overwhelmed by confusion before the door closed between them. She frowned slightly, realizing how far they still had to go. It was all fine and dandy that some things were falling into place, but she knew that there was still much left unexplained, including that whole matter of Emma being her daughter. It made so much sense, yet no sense at all. Almost….almost like her love for David in fact. On what basis did she have reason to be this obsessed with him? She had just met him. She barely knew him. Yet if there was one thing Mary Margaret knew was for sure, particularly after that meeting with Archie, it was that David was meant to be in her life. It made no sense at all, but still felt more right than anything else.

The three of them piled into Emma's car and started towards the mayor's house to drop off Henry. No one spoke, and for that Mary Margaret was grateful, she needed to emotionally prepare herself for what was to come. She felt that maybe Emma sensed that, and the blonde woman's silence was a reflection of that respect for Mary Margaret's pondering. Henry on the other hand was furiously leafing through his book in the back seat, not saying a word but his eyes alit with curiosity. When they finally pulled up to the sprawling mansion of the mayor, he hastily stuffed his book back into his backpack.

"Thank you!" he waved to Emma as he slid out of the seat, but paused just as he was about to close the car door. "And Ms. Blanchard," he said. "Listen to what your heart says. And keep on trying to remember." With a wave, he shut the door and ran inside the house. Mary Margaret sat back in her seat for a moment, contemplating what the little boy had just said.

"That kid has a moral compass beyond his years," Emma commented.

"He gets it from his mom," Mary Margaret smiled.

With a faint flush of pride, Emma turned and looked at Mary Margaret, her face growing curious. She motioned as if the speak, and then seemed to brush the idea away. With confusion still in her eyes, Emma turned back to face the road and slowly edged the car back into the lane. Mary Margaret knew that for a moment Emma had contemplated her own parental origins, and Mary Margaret felt both awkward and confused at that idea. Mostly confused though. _David, _she said to herself, _right now you need to focus on David._

With the smallest of sighs, Mary Margaret repeatedly clasped and unclasped her hands, attempting to calm a racing heart as she did just that and focused on what was going to happen when they reached his house. She was going to go and profess her love to a married man. At his own home. Where his wife might be waiting. What sane person would do that? And this love, she couldn't even fully describe where it came from. It was just a part of her, a part that couldn't go away. She had tried and tried to push it aside, and now that she was committed to accepting it, the prospect of actually having him do the same…it seemed too unlikely. But then again, so much that had happened lately seemed too unlikely.

With a jolt, Mary Margaret realized that the car was stopping and they were on David's street. Her heart raced and she felt like telling Emma to just turn around and go back. Sounding confident and committed like she had back in Archie's office was one thing, actually doing it was entirely another.

"What if Kathryn's there?" she asked Emma desperately.

Emma squinted as she peered ahead on the simple residential street. "I don't think you have to worry about that," she said, motioning for Mary Margaret to look. Up ahead, she watched as a small white Honda pulled out of one of the driveways. His driveway. The car started towards where they were parked and drove past. As it passed, Mary Margaret caught a glimpse of a familiar blonde head. Kathryn. "Perfect timing," Emma said with a smile.

"Did you have a plan for me if she had been home?" Mary Margaret asked.

"You would've just said you were collecting donations for some charity or something," Emma said simply, brushing off Mary Margaret's question. "But anyways, you don't have to deal with her now. Go on and do this!" As if to accentuate her point, Emma reached across and opened to car's passenger door. Hesitantly, Mary Margaret stepped out and with the slightest wave shut the door. Taking a deep breath, she paused for a moment and simply looked at his house. She was here. She was doing this. Trying to call upon that self-confidence and determination she had felt earlier, Mary Margaret started down the street. Once she reached his house she stopped again, flashing Emma a quick thumbs up before proceeding up the walk. Before she knew it, she was ringing the doorbell. A faint gonging reverberated throughout the house, followed by a thumping noise and finally the door cracking open. And then there he was.

"David," she allowed herself the smallest gasp.

His blinked for a moment, seeming to take in the full extent of who she was. "Sn…" he started and then stopped himself. "Mary Margaret."

Taking a deep breath, Mary Margaret let loose everything that she wanted to say. "David I know this might sound crazy, but I can't get you out of my head. Everywhere I go it's like you're always at the back of my mind. I tried so hard to not let it get to me. You have a wife for god's sake! But I just can't. I can't," she gasped and felt a tear slide down her cheek. "I don't want to be a bad person, and I thought that loving you like I do was a bad and evil thing. But the way I feel for you, there shouldn't be anything bad about it at all. It's pure….love. Yeah, love. There's been this empty hole in me for the longest time and the perfect and only piece to fill it is you. Now I don't know if you feel the same way, but you can't deny there's something between us. Something we need to figure out! Last night on the toll bridge, I walked away because I didn't want to be that bad person. But I realize now, I-I can't be without you. I can't." She felt a small sob wrack her body as she trailed off. With a deep breath, Mary Margaret felt her gaze fall to her feet. She was afraid of what he was going to say next.

"Mary Margaret I-" David started and trailed off. Suddenly Mary Margaret felt his strong hands on the side of her face as he tilted her head up to face him. Before she knew it, she was kissing him.

_Once again Mary Margaret found herself in another place. This time though, she saw nothing. She heard nothing. Nor did she smell or feel anything. It was all a rush of darkness. This darkness lasted for several seconds, though as far as she knew it could have been hours or days, before she felt a sense of the consciousness return. It started in her lips, a fiery tingling that spread it's warmth to the rest of her body. Now she felt the hard surface she was laying on. She smelt the bitter scent of pine and heard the rustling of leaves around her. As well, she heard the hushed breathing and murmurings of many people. Mary Margaret felt herself open her eyes and gasp. But that gasp was contained by the mouth of David pressed closely against hers. She savoured the kiss for several moments before feeling him pull away. "Snow," he exclaimed softly, and she saw pure love in his eyes. "James," she replied in almost a whisper._

With a start Mary Margaret returned to reality only to find herself still kissing David. She leaned into him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. He seemed to feel the same, and passionately continued to kiss her.

"There is nothing evil or bad about this," she heard him say as he pulled away for a moment before diving back into the kiss. "I love you."

Those three words seemed to unlock a wave of pure joy in Mary Margaret's mind. "I love you too," she managed to say between kisses. Nothing had ever felt more right than being there on his doorstep with him.


	13. Chapter 13: Hearts Speak

**OOC: I know it's been a while, but here you go! Chapter 13, hot off the presses. I make no promises as to when the next one comes, I'm quite busy doing a musical right now. Enjoy this while it's here though, and remember to keep on reading and REVIEWing! Your support means the world to me. Keep on smiling my friends!**

Kissing David was like nothing she had ever felt before. It was a whole new, invigorating experience. Every part of her body tingled with joy, and her lips seemed to move against David's in a rhythmic dance. Mary Margaret had kissed people before, but those past experiences seemed to pale in comparison to what she was feeling right at that moment. This felt so right. So, so right. As right as it was, it couldn't continue forever, and Mary Margaret knew that. With great reluctantcy, she slowly drew her face away from his and took a breath.

"Maybe we should get off the doorstep," she said softly with a smile, still gazing into his perfect eyes. His face was flushed from the heat of the moment, and stray snowflakes speckled his dishevelled hair. A smile crept across his lips.

"Maybe we should," he replied, gazing at the falling snow around them. "It seems to have started to snow." As he spoke the last word, his face wrinkled momentarily in a flash off confusion. "Snow," he repeatedly softly, and then looked at her as if for answers.

Mary Margaret didn't answer; she just nodded slightly and bit her lip. They definitely had things they needed to figure out. Lot's of things. "Let's go inside," she said after several moments' pause and turned to walk through the doorway.

Once they were in David's house, Mary Margaret couldn't help but gaze around at the place he and Kathryn called home. The front entryway opened into a quaint living area on one side, a cute kitchen on the other and a staircase leading upstairs. The walls showed pictures of David and Kathryn doing various things together. Picnics, bowling, sitting on the front porch….Mary Margaret felt a pang of discomfort as she realized she had jumped off the deep end with this. She had kissed David and meant it, on the doorstep of a house he shared with his wife. There was no going back now.

She followed David slowly into the living space, casually draping her coat, scarf and hat over the arm of a chair near the entryway before standing awkwardly for a moment. David sat down of a plush loveseat, and Mary Margaret finally settled on a chair across from him.

"You can sit next to me you know," David frowned. "I think that…whatever we did on the front porch is prerequisite enough for sitting together." He laughed slightly. Mary Margaret smiled slightly and settled down next to him.

"You have a wife," she said softly, though deep in her heart she knew she was long over actually believing that that statement mattered.

"A wife I didn't choose," David answered. "I mean, I woke up and the very first thing I saw was you. Then I find out I have Kathryn…." He sighed. "I mean, it's not that I don't love Kathryn. I do. I remember some of my life with her. I remember being happy. That's the thing though. I remember being happy. That doesn't mean I'm actually happy. I figured that eventually things would start to feel right again. Kathryn and I have been working on it, but it always felt like something was missing. I felt bad, because I obviously didn't love her like she loved me."

"I can understand," Mary Margaret replied softly, remembering Dr. Whale. She had wanted a relationship that she was committed to, and she just couldn't be committed to anyone but David.

"Yeah," David said. "And then I ran into you the other day, and whatever it was that happened….it felt more right than anything since that day you saved me. I can't explain why, it just did. And then at the Toll Bridge it happened again. I don't know what was going on, but there was some sort of a deep connection between us. And then you show up today….if anything that confirmed that it wasn't all in my head. I feel something like I've never felt before for you Mary Margaret. You feel it too don't you?"

"I do," she answered in almost a whisper.

"Is it because you saved me? Is it because we were just meant for each other?" David asked. "And what about those visions? This is all so crazy."

Mary Margaret hesitated and placed one delicate hand on his knee. "Have you heard about Henry's storybook?"

"What does a little boy's fairy tales have to do with us loving each other?" David asked, placing his own hand over hers.

"He's convinced…..he seems to think that everyone in this town is really a fairy-tale character. That we're all trapped by an evil curse," she replied. "And he thinks that you and I are Prince Charming and Snow White."

"Oh," David said softly, and his gaze took on a distant look as he processed the information. "So the visions….."

"I know," Mary Margaret said softly. "And I'm not saying that I believe him, it's just….."

"It makes too much sense," David finished, his gaze still distant.

They were both silent for a moment. Mary Margaret yet again wondering how right Henry was. Really, it logically made no sense. But her love for David made no sense either. What she was seeing in those visions made no sense. Not being able to remember her past made no sense. Really, nothing seemed to make sense lately. It seemed that anything was possible.

"You know what does make sense," Mary Margaret finally said, reaching and clasping David's big hand in her own. "I love you. Fairy tales or not, I love you."

David smiled. "I love you too." Mary Margaret revelled in how much that statement meant to her. Kathryn or not, he loved her as much as she loved him.

"Wait, what about Kathryn?" Mary Margaret startled herself as she remembered the other woman.

"I told you, I love you like I could never-"

"No not that," Mary Margaret cut him off. "We can't just sit here forever. She'll be home eventually."

"Oh right!" David stood up hastily. "She was just running to pick up groceries."

Mary Margaret rushed as she wiggled into her coat, quickly tossing her scarf around her neck and throwing her hat haphazardly upon her head. She paused as she was about to open the front door though.

"We have to see each other again," she said.

"Soon," he replied, drawing her into an embrace before once again kissing her. Mary Margaret lingered on the kiss before reluctantly pulling away.

"I'll call you," she said with a smile, the kiss still tingling on her lips. And with that, Mary Margaret pulled open the door and descended back into what felt like the real world. When she was with David, it felt like it was a beautiful dream. She was truly happy, and felt like with him was where she was meant to be. Closing the door behind her, Mary Margaret couldn't help but sigh as she left him behind. The only things that kept her from turning around, going back in and kissing him again were the threat of Kathryn finding out and the prospect of seeing him again eventually. She wasn't sure why she was still scared of Kathryn, or more correctly Regina. Wasn't throwing herself with all of her love at David basically making the ultimate choice to live her own life?

"I'll always be scared of her," Mary Margaret said to herself as she started down the sidewalk. She knew that no matter how independent she was or how self-righteous she felt, she would always fear Regina's power. The key to breaking free was to ignore that fear and still lead her own life. She had just done that in seeing David, and it felt remarkably good. A warm feeling of excitement spread throughout her being as she realized what she had done. She really had done it! And he had felt exactly the same way! Mary Margaret felt a sort of spring in her step, and the slightest smile tugged at her lips at the very memory of everything. Despite all the confusion over why they loved each other, the facts were simple. She loved David and he loved her. As she approached Emma's car, she saw Emma seating behind the wheel, a newspaper propped up in front of her.

Mary Margaret flung open the door of the car and before she was even seated the words started coming out. "It happened Emma! It really happened! We kissed, and he says that he loves me and I told him about how I love him, and it was just magical!" emotion overcame her as she recounted everything that had happened from the doorstep to the living room.

Emma listened with a smile. "That's great," she said once a breathless Mary Margaret had finished.

"Isn't it!" Mary Margaret felt as if her face was frozen in a permanent smile. "And we're going to meet again soon."

Emma smiled. "I'm glad you've finally sorted you feelings out," she said. "And I'm glad David knows about them. But at the same time, we by far haven't figured everything out. And how are you going to deal with Kathryn and Regina?"

Mary Margaret's smile faded. "That's right, David needs to here what Henry has to say," she said. "And as for Kathryn and Regina….I don't know." She sighed and her gaze dropped to her clasped hands on her lap.

"We need to figure out a plan," Emma said, starting up the car and pulling away from the curb. "When we get home though. I feel kind of creepy being parked here for so long."

Mary Margaret nodded in agreement, sighing again. She knew that the excitement wouldn't last forever. The warmth she felt in her heart since she had kissed David on the doorstep was by far not gone though. She knew that it would stay with her forever, and only grow with each minute she spent with him. Feeling her gaze wander outside of the window, Mary Margaret watched the various tableaus of StoryBrooke flash by until the car pulled to a slow at stop at an intersection. Across the street, Mary Margaret could see Mr. Gold's pawnshop, its owner standing on the front porch. Mr. Gold turned his head, and his gaze seemed to lock on with her own.

Mary Margaret blinked, convincing herself that it was just a friendly gaze of recognition. But even from across the street she could see a sense of knowing in the man's eyes. With a smile he cast her a wink and dipped his head as if to say _I know what's going on here. _Mary Margaret wondered what he knew, if he knew what had just transpired on David's doorstep. It seemed like he did. But before she could contemplate it further, the light turned green and the car started to roll again, down the street and away from Mr. Gold.


	14. Chapter 14: The Cost of Love

**OOC: It's been too long my loves! I apologize in epic amounts for my delayed updating. I've been heavily involved in a musical, and on top of that life has hit me extra hard these past few months. But I'm back right now, and hopefully more updates will be coming your way shortly. You need to be aware that I'm going strictly off canon since 1x07; the heart is a lonely hunter. So yes, recent episodes have definitely explored ideas that I've yet to explore in here, or explored ideas in different ways than I have. THAT's OK THOUGH! Take this story for what it is, and enjoy it for that. I can't help but add little snippets of backstory from recent episodes, but other than that I continue on as if this is a continuation of episode 7. Read and REVIEW it lovelies, it makes my day. Also, check out my recent Red centered one-shot, Red as Blood. It's pretty decent, considering I wrote it at 1 am in like less than an hour. I'll stop rambling now….enjoy this! Don't forget to REVIEW!**

When Mary Margaret awoke the next morning, she couldn't help but revel in the calm, worry-free warmth of her bed for several minutes. Things were making sense. Not total sense, but sense. Talking to David last night had made her realize once again how much she loved him, and it admittedly felt amazing to have those feelings reciprocated. Maybe that was the problem; she had deep down been worried that she was committing herself so much to a love that might not even be there. There was no doubt about it now though, she loved David. Mary Margaret tucked the heavy quilt right up to her chin, and a smile spread across her face. Love was great, it really was. Whatever it was that was going to happen next, she at least felt deep in her heart that unquenchable love. Kathryn and Regina seemed like distant afterthoughts.

With a sigh, Mary Margaret allowed herself to escape the confines of her bed and ready herself for the day. The fact of it being a Saturday, and Christmas Eve at that made everything seem brighter and better, and there was a spring her step as she bustled around the apartment. What was she to do today, on such a glorious day? Evident from the snoring emanating from the room on the other side of the apartment, Emma was still sound asleep. Mary Margaret bit her lip as she thought for several moments. Then it dawned on her! She'd go pick up some celebratory Christmas Eve cupcakes from Granny's. Leaving a small note scrawled on a napkin on the counter, Mary Margaret donned her coat, hat and scarf and headed out into the morning sun.

The day seemed particularly bright and cheery, whether by cause of her general jovial mood or the weather it was indiscernible. There was not a cloud in the sky, and the snow seemed to sparkle with an ethereal glow. Mary Margaret sang a random little tune as she walked.

"La-la, laddy-la, la-la, lady-laddy. La, lady-la-la, la-laaaaaaaa" she sang softly along the street to Granny's, waving at the townspeople she passed and a smile plastered on her face. As she walked however, her vision blurred.

_She was in a small cottage in a forest. Snow sparkled on the ground outside, and several small colourful birds flitted around the room. She wore a white dressing gown and had a straw broom in one hand, sweeping the floor. As she swept, she sang softly to herself. "La-la, laddy-la, la-la, laddy-laddy. La, lady-la-la, la-laaaaaaa". A small, yet not miniscule bearded man entered the room. "Snow, while we all love your singing, some of us are trying to sleep still," he said gruffly, but she could see a sparkle of faint amusement in his eyes. "Oh Grumpy," she laughed and did a small twirl, "I can't stop. Today is such a beautiful day! The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the snow is bright! How can you not love a day like this?" Without even awaiting a reply, she returned to her jovial singing and sweeping. _

"La-la, laddy-la, la-la, laddy-laddy. La, lady-la-la, la-laaaaaaa" Mary Margaret returned to reality to find herself repeating the sill little song. Her mood darkened for only a moment as she remembered what they still had yet to uncover concerning what was going on, but it didn't last long. She was determined not to let such a wonderful day as this be ruined by worry and doubt. Not yet at least. And with that she turned to resume her walk. As she turned however, a flash of the store she was in front of caught her eye. Mr. Gold's Pawn Shop. She remembered the shopkeeper's strange look yesterday, and paused in thought for a moment. Before she knew it, Mary Margaret was pushing open the glass door of the shop and entering its depths.

"Hullo?" accented voice called as she stepped inside. Mr. Gold appeared from behind a shelf, a large pickaxe in his hands. Mary Margaret let out an involuntary squeak at the sight of the weapon.

"Oh this?" Mr. Gold chuckled and looked down as if he were seeing the axe for the first time. "I was just polishing up some of my stock." He smiled coyly and unzipped a leather bag lying on the counter, sliding the pickaxe inside. Just as he did, Mary Margaret caught a quick glimpse of what looked like a word emblazoned on the handle. "So what can I assist you with today Ms. Blanchard?" He asked, rubbing his hands together once the axe was safely stored.

"I-um..." Mary Margaret stammered, searching for words. Why had she come in here anyways? "I was just wanting to take a look around." She finally said.

"Ah, looking for a gift perhaps?" Mr. Gold smiled. "For a friend? Co-worker? Loved one?" Was it just Mary Margaret, or did he add a certain accentuation to the last two words.

"Um…." She tried to find an answer but nothing came out.

"So it is love, eh?" Mr. Gold chuckled and he clicked his tongue. "Believe me darling, love is a tricky business. One minute you're in it, the next you're fighting it and the next you're running from it."

Mary Margaret surveyed Mr. Gold, seriously doubting he had ever really felt true love. He definitely didn't seem like that kind of a person. "Thanks for the advice," she said hesitantly.

"And if you're looking for a gift for a loved one," he continued, moving out from behind the counter and over to a nearby window. "Might I suggest this darling piece?" Mary Margaret followed him with her gaze and came to rest upon an ornate stained glass piece. Pictured on it was a couple standing at an alter in a majestic hall with people all around. The groom was sandy-haired, noble-looking and adorned in royal garb. The bride wore a flowing white gown and had white flowers twisted into her black as night hair. The two looked oddly familiar, though she couldn't quite place it.

"Magnificent isn't it?" Mr. Gold commented. "Superb craftsmanship, intricate detailing and a wonderful scene don't you think?" He paused to look once more at the piece, and seemed deep in thought. "No one knows for sure if this is a historical depictment of a royal wedding of the past, or if it is something else. Little Henry Mills had an interesting theory last time he was through my shop. He claimed that it showed the wedding of Snow White and Prince Charming. How cute of an idea, am I right?" He smiled silently, but his eyes spoke other words. Mary Margaret couldn't speak; she just peered closer at the glass. Yes, that was the same jutting of her chin, the same slope of her nose. And there was no mistaking the crest of David's forehead. It was just a coincidence though, nothing more. That's what she tried to tell herself.

"Coincidence," she murmured softly, not even realizing she had spoken aloud.

"Pardon?" Mr. Gold smiled, and looked at her, as if daring her to say more.

"It's….it's lovely," Mary Margaret countered, fighting for words. She tried not to look at the stained glass, but her eyes were continuously drawn to the two figures. Too much of a coincidence….

"Doesn't strike your fancy though?" Mr. Gold winked. "I can see where you're coming from. Love can't be bought with silly trinkets like these." He flourished a hand and moved away from the window and back behind his counter. " No, love's something special deary. Some would even say it's magical. But remember this Ms. Blanchard; all magic comes with a price." His tone grew serious and Mary Margaret felt his gaze bore into her.

"What do you mean?" she replied hesitantly, immediately suspicious.

"I mean," Mr. Gold said, leaning in closer. "That you best be watching out for the shadow that follows every person who walks in the light. Things may seem fine dandy and swell right now, but my dear they may not always be. Sometimes you have to pay dearly for love."

"Why are you telling me this?" Mary Margaret instinctively took a step back at the shopkeeper's ominous tone.

Mr. Gold gazed down at his clasped hands for a moment, and then replied. "Let's just say I'm being a friendly neighbour, as all neighbours should be," he smiled again. "Now if you don't mind me, I have some business to attend to. Have yourself a wonderful Christmas Eve, and I do dearly hope your love works out Ms. Blanchard."

Mary Margaret silently turned and headed out of the shop, her thoughts ablaze with confusion. What in the world was Mr. Gold hinting at, with all that price of love nonsense? And the stained glass…..and the way he spoke as is he knew exactly what she were thinking. Everything seemed so jumbled and confused, Mary Margaret could barely make right from left. This was definitely a new piece to the puzzle for sure. Just when things seemed to be sorting themselves out, and just when she was happiest about the love she was in, the curveball known as Mr. Gold had to come along. Mary Margaret sighed and started off down the street. She'd have to ask Emma about this for sure. And maybe even Henry. That book of his sure did seem to have all the answers.

As the bell jingled signalling Mary Margaret's exit from the shop, Mr. Gold turned to the telephone situated upon his desk. With nimble movements he punched in the number and awaited the dial tone.

"Ah, yes, hello again," he said softly after the phone was picked up. "I seem to have some information concerning a certain someone's activities with another certain someone that may tickle your fancy."

He paused as the other person spoke. "Ah, my dear….it will cost you though," he chuckled. "Nothing is ever free my love, especially not with me. As I'm sure you remember all magic comes with a price and this is no exception. Now here's what you're going to do for me, and then I'll tell you what I know…."


	15. Chapter 15: Cupcakes in a Coffee Shop

**OOC: I'm baaaAaack. That's right. After a year-long hiatus I've come back to my golden child of an fiction. If you're new to my story, head all the way back to chapter one and start reading! I hope it's worth it! Keep in mind that I'm writing from the canon I created following season 1, episode 7. Yes, plenty of stuff has happened since then to contradict what this story is, but I feel it deserves to be unburdened by the natural twists and turns of the show. It is its own deity. I will admit however, that a lot of the character backstory further developed since I started writing this will sneak it's way into this fiction. Same universe, same mythology and history, just a bit of a different turn from episode 7. So enjoy this and I hope to write more soon…ish. We'll see. Life is crazy. Enjoy though! And REVIEW! Love. **

Mary Margaret paused a few steps away from Gold's shop, her wandering mind trailing back to the stained glass. What was Gold up to? The way he spoke, with such coy wordplay and such a well timed suggestion..it twisted her stomach into a knot of uneasiness. She like that preteen girl who heard the whispers in the halls and the rumours, but was never told outright what was fact and what was fiction. Something was amiss in Storybrooke far beyond her own trivial troubles, and with the way Mr. Gold carried himself it seemed he knew much more than he was letting on. The man's personality exuded such qualities. The knowing smile. The well-placed twinkle of the eye. The suggesting voice. Perhaps he had always been so enigmatic and Mary Margaret was only just noticing his sly twists of emotion and words now that she had a reason to; after all, recent events had taught her to not trust the memory she was given. Maybe he knew nothing and she was overthinking all of this. Mary Margaret flashed back to the shopkeeper's knowing look the night before and how he had seemed to see right into her soul. No, Mr. Gold wasn't ignorant or naïve to anything in this town. That was for sure.

She was startled from her thoughts by a creak and subtle movement from behind her. She turned to see that the chiselled wooden sign adorning Gold's door which read "OPEN" not a moment before had turned to say "CLOSED FOR THE HOLIDAYS". Mary Margaret bit her lip and sighed. It would do no good to dwell upon her puzzling encounter. After all, she had left the house this morning in a bright mood; nothing should be bringing her down. She had admitted to love, and she had joined the coveted Operation Cobra. She had started on the track to discovering something. She wasn't going to spend Christmas alone. That was worth at least a few hours of happiness before the reality of what had occurred and what was occurring hit her. Was this really happening though? All of Henry's farfetched fantasies and dreams? Mary Margaret wasn't ready to admit it yet, she was far from accepting the potential of having a child or of being something and someone she never knew existed. What she was ready to admit was that loving David, and letting herself love him was good. It made her feel good. It made her feel right. And, she was finally coming to realize, if loving David meant believing for just a little while, then she might as well believe. Gold spoke of a price to such love, and of shadows which followed, and Mary Margaret knew she shouldn't love David. For the thousandth time she reiterated to herself that he was married. But back at his house, as they were locked in a tight embrace, marriage didn't matter. Identity didn't matter. Reality didn't matter. It was just right.

After taking a deep breath to clear her head of Gold's puzzling conversation, Mary Margaret started towards Granny's, trying to pull back that feeling of happiness and elation she had felt earlier. As she opened to glass-fronted door to the diner, a tiny bell chimed above the entry, announcing her presence. The entire place was empty, falling victim to the lengthily sleep habits of Storybrooke residents, but as Mary Margaret tentatively strode toward the counter, a red-streaked head appeared around a corner.

"Mary Margaret!" Ruby smiled, her hands wringing an old dishcloth as she spoke. "It's nice to see you this morning!"

"You too," Mary Margaret returned the smile. Who was it Henry had said Ruby was again…oh right, Red Riding hood. Scanning her eyes up and down the young woman, Mary Margaret could see where he got such an analogy. Red hair, red clothes, and a fiery personality to match.

"What brings you to our little slice of heaven?" Ruby smiled, casually drawing the dishcloth across the counter in sweeping motions.

"I was hoping to get some cupcakes actually."

"Oh really?" Ruby paused to raise an eyebrow. "What's the occasion?"

She hesitated. Oh how desperately Mary Margaret wished to claim love as the occasion. Or recovery of what was lost. Or change. She wished to tell Ruby everything, to share in the revelations and love. To express her feelings for David in such a concrete thing as speech. She longed to speak of a past life that may or may not have happened. She longed to talk it out, to sort it out, with another person. For all she knew Ruby could have been experiencing the exact same things. The memory of Archie's phone call crept back into her mind though, and she knew that knowing of change was far worse than the change itself. "Just the fact of not spending Christmas alone," she smiled after a pause.

"Well that's as good an occasion as any," Ruby grinned, though Mary Margaret could hear the faintest of scepticisms in her voice. As the scarlet-clad woman shuffled through the shelves for a cupcake box, she continued. "Any men in your life right now? Just from girl to girl, friend wise I mean. I feel like I never see you with all of your work. Dr. Whale not around anymore?"

"No…" Mary Margaret trailed off, not daring to mention David.

Sensing the tension in Mary Margaret's voice, Ruby leaned forward over the counter until the two women's gazes were parallel. "Bad break up?"

"No, just….not the right one."

Ruby sighed understandingly. "I know how it goes my friend. I mean, despite my obvious physical efforts, I've had my fair share of bad relationships."

"Really? I thought red spandex was the key to all success in life," Mary Margaret playfully bantered, feeling for the first time in several days a sense of normalcy. She was just sitting in the diner, talking about boys with a girlfriend.

"My fashion is me," Ruby said proudly. "Anyways, relationships. They're hard, and Mr. Right is hard to find. All men are pigs in some way or another, you know that? And you know what we are Mary Margaret? Hmm….? Us women-we're wolves. We go through blowing down the straw and stick houses of all the stupid men in the world, huffing and puffing and not sacrificing our integrity but ultimately eating the men in the end-metaphorically speaking of course. Bacon's good, but eat too much of it and you get fat and slow, just like those pig men. But then you find the pig with the brick house, and despite all your huffing and puffing and all of your efforts to not sacrifice who you are, the house, your relationship, still stands and the pig still lives. You can be you, love how you want to without destroying him and your relationship. You just need to find the right one. The smart pig with the brick house. You follow?"

Mary Margaret found her imagination visually tracing the contours of the bricks outside of David's house as they had kissed on the front porch. "Kind of I guess," she laughed, and Ruby chuckled along with her.

"Don't fret about love," Ruby smiled. "Everybody's always coming down on all love coming at a cost, but why dwell on that? Why don't we just enjoy the fact that love exists, and true love…well once it happens we will always find it. We just need to find a pig with a brick house."

"Thanks Ruby," Mary Margaret felt her heart lighten at her friend's advice. "I needed that."

"My pleasure," Ruby smiled a toothy grin. "Now if only I could follow my own advice, I wouldn't be stuck here working for my Granny. I'd be off adventuring and being responsible to someone else."

"It's not too bad here in Storybrooke."

"Yeah, yeah," Ruby rolled her eyes as she delicately packaged up a half-dozen cupcakes. Each was adorned with a dollop of whipped pink icing and a single candy cane.

Mary Margaret reached to take the box, and her pale hand brushed against Ruby's palm. Suddenly she was somewhere else.

_She lay curled up in front of a campfire, white furs shrouding most of her body. Her hands were thrust towards the center of warmth, absorbing and sucking in the vital heat. Across from her through the flicker of the flames she could see Ruby, a red hood draped over her head and a scarlet flush across her cheeks to match. "Snow," Ruby said timidly. "I just wanted to thank you for being a friend to me, through all of everything." Mary Margaret felt herself stir, raise a hand to brush back a stray strand of hair, and smile before answering. "Well thank you Red for being a friend to me. I wouldn't have made it too far without someone else. I guess we both wouldn't have." Mary Margaret felt warmth beyond the campfire emanating from her gut. A warmth of friendship. "Red as blood," Roby said. "And white as Snow," Mary Margaret felt herself finish with a chuckle. "A team." The two nestled deep into their respective warmth's, comfortable in the fact of not being alone. A princess on the run, and a girl with a dark past. Together. _

Reality came back and smacked her in the face. Instinctively she pulled her hand away from Rub y's and felt the other woman do the same. The cupcake box tumbled out of their grasps, falling to the counter with an emanating "thump".

"What the hell!" Ruby exclaimed, looking at Mary Margaret with bewilderment glistening in her eyes.

"I-I…uh," Mary Margaret started, but she couldn't find words. "So you saw it too," she finally said.

"I felt something, I saw something, I was something…I don't know what you wan to call it, but something happened," her eyes darted back and forth.

"Something is up in Storybrooke Ruby," Mary Margaret leaned in closer to the woman until their noses were inches apart. "After everything that happened with Graham, and Emma coming to town…something is in motion here. I feel it. And David and I-"

Before Mary Margaret could finish, the bell above the door jingled and in strode a dark-clad figure, her hair rustled from the light winter breeze outside. She purposefully strode to where Mary Margaret and Ruby were standing and stopped in front of the pair. Mary Margaret felt herself unable to run or to move. She felt like a hopeless gazelle watching the lion approach and knowing that nothing could be done to save herself. "David Nolan you say?" Regina Mills smiled as she removed her gloves "I'd love to hear all about it."


End file.
